"Lighting the Fire"
Jotting – Week 22

The fourth mission response to the Ablaze! movement is Tell: “Tell others about what God is doing in His mission. Spark their interest and involvement. Help them learn about God's mission.”

Tell Your Story

It was 1943, war years. Two parents with three little girls and a small boy waited for the birth of their fifth child. The family had just moved to central Michigan where the father would soon begin teaching in the public high school. The mother’s family–and family doctor–were from a small town near Detroit. Gas was rationed; tires were scarce (back then everyone was prepared for a flat or two anytime they took a road trip). As the due date of early September approached, the family knew that the mother must make that trip by herself on the train. The father would be in charge of the other children, ages two to six–and find time to prepare lessons and begin his teaching job.

Carefully the mother packed and just as carefully marked every station along the way where a town boasted a hospital. Thankfully, she reached her hometown and her own doctor in time. A baby girl was born within a few days of her arrival. In those days, mothers had the unheard of luxury (for today) of staying in the hospital for a week to 10 days after a baby’s birth. The first trip that baby made, after returning to the grandmother’s house, was to the church the following Sunday for her Baptism. Only then did the mother travel trainward again with her new child to introduce her to a waiting father and eager siblings.

When I was told this story as a child (I was that new baby), I felt little distress over the fact that my father and sisters and brother did not attend my Baptism. I think it was more intriguing to me that I had my first train trip at just two weeks of age. It wasn’t until I reached adulthood that I truly understood the significance–and sacrifice–of my parents’ actions. They didn’t want anything to jeopardize my entering heaven should something happen between my mother’s home town and the town where my dad had found work. Baptism was–and still is–that important to them, a command of God, not taken lightly.

God worked in my parents’ lives, in my home life, in the life of my brothers and sisters (eventually there were five more children, all taken home from the hospital, then to the church for Baptism before any other traveling was done). Jesus was a part of our everyday lives. I can’t tell you of a time I didn’t know Him. We prayed together, worshiped and sang together, and fought and forgave as much as we needed to. We knew Jesus–and knew that He loved us. We had a blessing that couldn’t be traded for any amount of material wealth.

That’s my story–not any earth-shaking events or even small rumbles, but I know that God is still working in my life. Through His grace He brought my husband and me together, gave us five children, eventually four children-in-law, and six grandchildren. Through them, I still see God’s hand guiding and directing, still see Him in everyday conversations and interactions with others, still see Him reaching out to those who don’t know Him as Savior through family members.

Read others’ stories too. Go to Lutheran Hour Ministries, International Weekly News, to discover how God is working around the globe to bring people into a relationship with Him. He uses ordinary people like you and me to bring people out of darkness into His marvelous light: http://www.lhm.org/lhmint/enews.asp.

Click on http://www.lcms.org/pages/default.asp?NavID=5247, the LCMS Ablaze! web site or http://www.lcms.org/pages/default.asp?NavID=887, the LCMS World Missions web site for more personal stories of people involved in bringing the Good News of Jesus to others.

What’s your story? How did the Holy Spirit bring you to faith? How is God working in your life today? What has He done this past week that has made you more aware of His presence, His grace, His protection or forgiveness? Whom have you told? Whom can you tell? One story at a time, one person at a time, one Savior for all–for all times. Don’t wait! Someone is anxious to hear your story.

Even John the Baptist needed to hear Jesus’ story: “And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me’” (Matthew 11:2-6).

A former demon-possessed man begged Jesus to allow him to go with Him; “However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."
And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled” (Mark 5:19-20).

Who will marvel at your telling?
Pray: What great things You do for me, O God! Your mercies are new to me every morning. Give me, I pray, discerning eyes to see where You are at work in my life. Guide my heart to obey Your directions and Your will for my life. Put people in my path, Lord, that need to hear my story–the story of how You are in my life, the story of my relationship with You, the story of Your forgiveness and love through Jesus. Then open my mouth with words to declare Your love for them as well. Give me a mission, Father, give me Your mission to reach the lost for You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.