And the King will say, “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” [Matthew 25:40 (NLT)]
After my walk through the bird sanctuary, I visited the ladies’ room. While washing my hands, I heard someone struggling to open the door. As I opened it, a heavy set woman shuffled unsteadily into the room. I gave her my arm as she explained that she suffers from MS. After assisting her into the stall, I offered to stay in the rest room until she was done. As I lent a hand while she washed up, she thanked me profusely for my help and explained that her husband didn’t feel comfortable coming into the ladies’ room to assist her. I said that she’d do the same for someone else if she could. “Of course, I would,” she replied, pulling out a cross from around her neck, ”I’m a Christian.” My reply was a simple, “As am I!” I helped her out to the lobby and got her settled back into her wheelchair. “You see,” she explained, “I just had to come. I want to see the painted-buntings again before I leave for home.” I hope she wasn’t disappointed; I, too, had wanted to see the buntings but they’d remained hidden in the trees that morning.
I don’t know if she saw the birds that day but I do know what we both did see: the face of Christ. She saw it in a woman wearing glasses, a baseball cap, and a jean jacket who offered assistance, a few kind words, and a steady arm. I saw it in the smile of a gray-haired woman, visiting from England, who just needed a little help and a few minutes of my time. Thank you, Lord, for showing me your face when I took the time to help one of your children.
To love another person is to see the face of God. [Victor Hugo]
Devotions of the Heart 