
The little country church sat nestled amidst rolling mountains and vibrantly colored foliage. One look and you felt the invitation to come closer... to come inside.
One day, a stranger decided to visit the lovely church in the hills. He arrived some what early and parked his car, as he was getting out of the car he saw another car pulling into the lot. The driver quickly got out of the car and said to the stranger, "Hey, I always park there! You took my place!" The stranger got back into his car and moved it well beyond... where any more local cars would park.
The stranger then went inside for Sunday School, found an empty seat and sat down. A young woman from the church approached him and stated, "That's my seat... I'm afraid you took my place!" The stranger, somewhat distressed by the rude welcome... said nothing, as he got up out of they young woman's seat and moved to another.
After Sunday School, the stranger thought he would go into the sanctuary and sit down. He looked around... and seeing no one near him... he took a seat near the front of the church. The stranger remembered that not to many people like to sit in front... so he felt there wouldn't be any problems with where he had sat down. Soon the church began to fill up... a woman sitting behind the stranger realized her vision was blocked by the stranger... she tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Could you move over just a little. You are sitting in front of my view."
Later, as the congregation was praying for the Lord Jesus to dwell among them... the visitor stood... his appearance began to change. Horrible scars became visible on his hands, face and on his sandaled feet. Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, "What happened to you?"
The visitor softly replied, "I took your place."
Question: Did Jesus try to visit you in church today?