Always at the Door

Have you ever experienced some random dog or cat that always seems to come and be at your door begging for food or attention? I can remember as a child my mom being angry at some alley cat for always coming to our door and urinating in her gardens. She used to yell and scream and try to scare the cat away, but nothing ever seemed to work. Here in Indi@ we have our share of street dogs and homeless cats but it’s usually the monkeys that I am trying to scare away from my door.  Here many people be-friend the wild animals, even the monkeys, feeding them and hoping to appease the “god” in them.  You can assume they keep coming back for more. Free hand-outs are always a welcomed thing.

The past few weeks a young man, Pankaj, who used to be our neighbor has alsobeen seemingly always at the door. Unlike the animals he isn’t begging for food or attention, but he isseemingly always at the door and wanting a place to belong. He returned to our city after being gone for a number of months. The small one room “apartment” he rents had no electricity, no running water, and no food when he returned. He came like the dogs to the loyal neighbor’s home knowing he would get free hand-outs. He walked right in and made himself at home. He took off his wet shoes and socks and put them near the woodstove to dry. He plucked grapes off the vine and popped them in his mouth as he caught us up on his life. He didn’t have to ask; he knew we would offer a warm cup of chai, dinner, and a warm place to stay. 

Pankaj is one of the most staunchly H!ndus I know. He earnestly studies the H!ndu holy scriptures and devotes himself to meditation and prayer. He is quick to fight for what he believes and loves to debate about his beliefs. Manoj and I have had numerous conversations with him over the last few years. We have also spent countless hours praying for him in the secret of our prayer closets.  

Our family schedule was quite undone having someone unexpectedly join us for over 2 weeks. At times, I felt like my mother wanting to yell and scream at the “cat” to leave her garden and get his stinking, sweaty feet off my baby’s clean blanket. At times I wanted the visit to be over, but graciously and loyally I continued to offer food, love, care and a home to our spiritually lost neighbor.  Because he chose our door to come to, and our family to stay with, it meant that he also sat in on our fellowship meetings and daily family devotions. It meant that daily Pankaj was hearing Truth and though at times I know he pretended not to pay attention or listen, I could see in his eyes he was listening deeply and intently.  He would pretend to not pick up and read papers about the Father, but he would lose track of time studying them. He would pretend to not care about our discussions, but by the end of the first week, he couldn’t hide it any more. During one of our weekly discipleship meetings where we were discussing the book of John, he boldly piped in, “Who or what is Truth?”  

Finally….. the light was turning on and that light was the knowledge of Je$us.  This was the mark of open and honest conversations about TRUTH. Je$us -the way, the truth, and the life. Pankaj spent a few more days with us before going back to the city he studies college in. He willbe back, and you can bet our free hand-outs will be available and I will be looking for him at the door. 

I am learning that sometimes the annoyance or discomfort of someone at the door is also the answer to a prayer you have been asking about for a very long time. 

Honestly, I think we are all somewhat like the dogs and cats at the door. We are all searching for something more-- more love, more care, more acceptance. This world leaves us empty handed too often and still hungry for more. Even as a believer, I can find myself at the threshold of some door asking for something. We are truly all on a search for Truth and more of G0d. I am thankful His Word says, “knock and the door will be opened to you.”