A panicked scream shook the stillness of the pleasant fall evening. I ran upstairs to the kitchen and found my wife bent over our beloved dog of 10 years. He'd suddenly collapsed and was barely breathing. There was no warning. We rushed him to the ER, but there was nothing to be done. In the blink of an eye, our dog Sunny was gone.

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In time, the rawness of this event receded. Time will alleviate pain, but never completely heal it. I think we've all experienced pain like this. Some more, some less, but pain enough to shake us into a new reality; what we thought was, will never be again, at least not on this Earth. Have you ever found yourself taking things for granted? I certainly did that pivotal fall evening. Through this event, I began to realize how much of my life I was taking for granted. Even God.

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Flashback 2,000 years. You are one of the 12 disciples gathered for the Passover meal in the upper room (Luke 22:12). Jesus is there with you. Things probably seem normal to you. So normal, in fact, you may be arguing which among you is the greatest (Luke 22:24). But then, Jesus takes some bread, gives thanks, breaks it, and says, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). Not comprehending the necessity for this request, you do as he says. Then Jesus takes the cup. He gives thanks and says, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 25:27-28). You do this as well, again not understanding its meaning. Jesus has been with you the past three years; surely He'll be with you tomorrow. You don't yet realize what was, will never be again, at least on this Earth.

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Jesus was teaching His disciples about Communion. He was preparing them for His physical death. I believe Communion is one of the many ways God knocks on your door. It seems to have special relevance because it's so personal for Him. Through Communion, Jesus specifically appeals to us to remember Him and proclaim His sacrifice.

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Communion is addressed in each of the Gospels. The Apostle Paul does a great job in summarizing the Gospel accounts in 1 Cor. 11:23-26:

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“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

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“Do this in remembrance of me.” What a loving way to open your door.

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In hindsight, it's easy to judge the disciples for taking Jesus' presence with them for granted. Clearly, He was knocking on their door to prepare them for a new reality. They just didn't hear it. And that was me that fall evening. God didn't cause my dog to die, but God used this event to open my ears to hear His knock. God is always knocking on our doors. Sometimes we hear it; others we don't. Just like the disciples, it took a sudden, life-altering event for me to answer.

I encourage you to throw open your door. Not just once but 70 times 7 times. As challenging, messy, difficult, confusing, or painful life may be for you, Jesus keeps knocking. You are that important to Him.

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How can you answer? In addition to Communion, each time you pray, read His word, witness your faith, confess your sin, join a Bible study, worship, go to church, listen to a friend, trust Him, or countless other ways, you are answering His knock.

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Ever since Genesis 1:1, God has created, guided, and orchestrated the means for you to join Him for eternity. He's moved heaven and hell just to get to the door of your heart. But there's one thing He will not do: He will not force your door open. The choice to open your door is yours alone.

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No matter what life event you're experiencing right now, your God of joy, peace, and love is knocking on your door. Will you answer?

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Lord, you knock, and knock, and knock. You do not give up on me. Thank you for your faithfulness, and forgive me for, at times, taking you for granted. I proclaim my deep desire to always open my door to you. You are invited. Amen, come in, Lord Jesus.

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(If you want to learn more about Communion and its meaning, these verses may be helpful):

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Matt. 26:26-29

Mark 14:22-25

Luke 22:14-20

John 6:32-40 47-51 53-58

John 13:21-30

1 Cor. 10:16-17

1 Cor. 11:27-32