Bartimaeus sits at the roadside, calling out to Jesus to have mercy on him. Those around him shush him until Jesus himself asks that he come forward. Then the crowd changes their tune and encourages Bartimaeus to go to the Christ. He rises and throws off his cloak. When Jesus asks what he wants, Bartimaeus is clear--he wants to see again. He once had sight and somehow he lost it. I am not sure why but this is the first time I have noticed this point.
This man of faith stands as a symbol for all of us. We need to take heart that Jesus hears us crying out for mercy. We need to acknowledge the times when we are blind...again--when we need to stop and ask for God's abundant grace and mercy one more time in our lives.
I have been there lately. I have been there more than once. I look blindly inward and I forget the call to look outward to a community in need. Yesterday during the presentation for "Celebrating Our Journey Together" I laid out an argument of how we need to follow Christ in service. Our world needs us to be the hands and feet of Christ. We need to discover a faith that gets up and throws off what weighs us down in order to enthusiastically find our way to Jesus.
I had some fears about standing up and sharing my life journey with people yesterday. As I stirred those fears, I realized that I wanted something bigger to unfold for people listening and for myself. I wanted to inspire people and to plant seeds of hope. I think I did that. I wanted to remove blinders from people about situations like Tanya Nepinak and Amanda Todd--females who society let down. I pray that God will use me more, that I may call out to Jesus, and that when I am called on, that I throw off everything that would hold me back, and run to the Voice that beckons.
How about you--are you content to sit by the roadside or will you run to Christ?
Peace,
Suzanne
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