the faces

I'm still in the process of processing... Little bits and pieces of teaching and truth are floating around in my head.  Things like, "You've been blessed for a reason... So that you can bless others" (Paul Yoder), and "Prayer gives us power with which we can obey, and obedience releases more power so that we can obey more. Get on the virtuous cycle!" (David Bercot).

After a week like Soldiers of the Cross, it's hard to take in any more truth and teaching into your head for a while.  But for me, it's even more difficult to get all these words and challenges into my heart.  And if it lands squarely in my heart, it's still hard to live the teachings out and allow them to make a permanent difference in my mindset and my lifestyle.

The words are too soon forgotten.  Unless the message becomes a part of me, it too will soon slip into oblivion.  But one thing will not quickly fade from my memory: the faces.

The four-year-old eyes that lit up as I handed her mother the $1 bill so she could ride one of those little car things in the mall.  The hard, indifferent eyes of the man who slammed the door in our faces.  The tears and heartfelt gratitude of the teenager as I handed her a box of chocolates and told her she is beautiful.  The determined face of the man who insisted that all people are going to heaven.  The sad, wistful eyes of the woman whom we prayed for after she said that life is just too hard and she doesn't want to talk about Jesus.  The surprised, happy eyes of the woman I witnessed to at a gas station while the guy who was with me filled her flat tire with air for her.  The interested face of the man who just hadn't thought about Jesus for a long time.

These are the faces that bear God's very image.  God has chosen each one of these to be his precious children.  He so badly longs to bring them to Himself and hold them and comfort them and lead them.  But so many of them don't even know the truth.  They are blinded, deceived, rejected, and alone.  They so desperately need Jesus. They need someone to show them Jesus. They need someone to step in and be Jesus to them.

The call is not easy.  It's not glamorous and fun.  But it brings joy!  And God promises his faithfulness again and again.  This is one of my favorite "validation" passages... It's God's call on Jeremiah's life, but it is so relevant to us today.

{Jeremiah 1:4-9 ESV} Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”  Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, "Behold, I have put my words in your mouth..."

Clearly, we have all been called.  Clearly, we each have a part to play.  It's your job to figure out what your part is in the big scheme of Christianity.  It's not the same for every Christian.  But every single one of us must faithfully fulfill our part of God's great commission.
__
Never settle for less!