Shake the Dust

“Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words-go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.'”  (Matthew 10:14)

How many times have we not received you, Lord, or not listened to your words, yet you never abandoned us, why do you want us to do this to others? Maybe because there are so many in need of your love, If we can’t make any headway with certain people we are to move on and allow you to continue working on them. Maybe the dust we are shaking from our feet represents the sin and evil in that place that is keeping those people from being open to you. Sometimes we have to walk away from people not because we don’t love them, but because we do love them. For whatever reason, the relationship has become caustic, maybe for one or maybe for both of us. Maybe the relationship has become abusive. God never wants us to remain in an abusive relationship. He offers us a way out if we have the courage to follow him.

“Yet, though I stooped to feed my child, they did not know I was their healer.” (Hosea 11:4) Sometimes we don’t recognize God in those he places in our lives. Sometimes we don’t want to see God because we would rather do things our way. But sometimes life circumstances cause us to be in a place where God is caring for us, he is often, literally, carrying us and it is not until later when we can look back, do we see that He has been with us all along. He is our healer.

Lord, help me to see you present in all that surrounds me, both the little things such as the smile of my child and the profound ways such as in the Eucharist that we are able to receive each day. You are constantly healing us and molding us into the person we were created to be. Help me to be patient with your work in me and the wisdom to know when I need to walk away and shake the dust from my feet.