He was looking forward to this moment all day long, after 6 days of labor and it finally arrived – Visiting Day!! The man with the keys arrived to swing open the large, heavy doors. The cold gray hall springs to life in the warm glow of light. He could hardly control his emotions.

The families began to arrive. He peers from the corner of the room longing for the first glimpse of his loved one. He lives for the
weekends. He dearly loves these visits. As the cars arrive, he watches intently. Then, finally, she arrives, his bride, for whom he would do anything. They embrace, eat a light lunch and reminisce how things used to be. At one point, they break into singing, with interruptions of laughter and applause.

But all to soon it is over. A tear comes to his eyes as his bride departs. Then the man with the keys closes the heavy doors. He hears the key turn in the lock marking the end of a special day. There he stands, alone again. He knows that most of his visitors will not contact him again till next week. As the last car pulls away from the parking lot, Jesus retreats into loneliness as He waits until next Sunday – Visiting Day.

The town of Le Lavandou on the French Riviera recently passed a law barring any more burials in the town cemetery. It’s full. The law says, “It is forbidden without a cemetery plot to die on the territory of the commune.” The law hasn’t stopped people from dying. Nineteen people have died without a plot and are temporarily housed in friends’ vaults.

There is only one law against dying that really works-the law of the Resurrection.

One day, a man went to visit a church. He arrived early, parked his car, and got out. Another car pulled up near him, and the driver told him,”I always park there. You took my place!”

The visitor went inside for Sunday School, found an empty seat, and sat down. A young lady from the church approached him and stated, “That’s my seat! You took my place!” The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing.

After Sunday School, the visitor went into the church sanctuary and sat down. Another member walked up to him and said, “That’s where I always sit. You took my place!”

The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still said nothing.

Later, as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood, and his appearance began to change. Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet. Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, “What happened to you?”

The visitor replied, “I took your place.”