What if Jesus had a blog?

We pulled up to our house after a long day of ministry. We had just spoken at a couple schools and made an emotional hospital visit where we prayed for the sick. We were coming home to rest and were completely unaware of the sight that was about to greet us. We looked out the window of our van to the scene of 140 people sitting on our lawn. They had been waiting hours for us, we were told, and they wanted our prayers and words of encouragement. Our translator began to make introductions and my heart broke as I met two little boys with AIDS and prayed over a baby girl with heart problems. There were about 15 adults in the crowd, a few who had brought their children to be prayed for. The rest were kids who had already lost both of their parents. There were over 100 orphans in our front yard. They were lonely, they said.

 

 

I looked out at the crowd that day and thought of Jesus and His ministry while on earth. I feel as though the pages of the New Testament are coming alive for me while here in Africa. I picture Jesus and His disciples being followed by hundreds of little children as they walk from town to town. I imagine that He turned around and gently smiled at them when He said “let the little children come to Me.” I know that He would have had time to stop and offer them a hug and an encouraging word. 

 

 

And I bet He never got impatient with the crowds of adults who followed Him around either, those who walked for miles with the hope to simply touch His cloak or catch a kind smile. They followed Him because they knew without a doubt that He offered something special, something unique, something no one else could offer them. 

 

 

He healed. He cast out demons. He offered grace, unconditional love, and eternal life. He perfected the balance between power and love because He is both ALL-powerful and ALL-loving at the same time.

 

I have been humbled by my time in Africa. People here swarm to us simply because we carry the name of Jesus. They ask for healing over their loved ones and invite us to speak at their churches and their schools. They prepare meals for us and gather crowds and wait in anticipation for an entire day because they are unsure when we are going to show up. We arrive and their eyes fill with tears as they tell us they are honored to have us in their homes. They sit in the other room and leave us to ourselves while we eat, we don’t even get the opportunity to speak much to them, as they simply desire our presence and prayers within their house. We leave and look behind us at the crowd of children following close behind mimicking our actions and fighting with one for an opportunity to be seen, hugged, or photographed.

 

 

Africa is socially exhausting. It’s emotionally disturbing. It’s physically draining. However, I am created in the image of God and am called to represent Him at all time by my actions. I fail at this more often than I succeed but my prayer is that my ministry here on the race and once I return home will reflect the servant hood of Jesus while He walked on earth. I pray that I would love fully and passionately with an overflow so patient and unconditional that it could only come from God.