20/20

Heading into my first missions trip this evening I was lugging around heavy anxiety and doubt, in addition to my overnight bag. While this trip is only for a weekend, my fear resided in my lack of experience in doing the Lords work in this manner. Missions work!? I haven't even done any formal evangelism locally! I figured, surely God drafted the wrong solider for this fight! I'm not the scripture quoting type and therefore felt ill-equipped heading into this. I wondered if I were truly ready for this task. What if I say something (biblically sound) but cant locate the text to support it? Or... what if someone asks me a question that I can't answer! With the apprehension I was preparing to board this Lynn, Massachusetts bound bus with I had packed anything but light!

Those close to me gave me a abundance of helpful advice and assurances, but one in particular stood out to me.  Someone told me that while I may not be a walking audio bible, I did possess an invaluable tool-- a testimony. These words immediately evoked thoughts of recent scripture I had read. John 9:1-41 tells of a man who was born blind but was healed once crossing paths with the Lord, Jesus Christ. His neighbors, and later the Pharisees, questioned if he was indeed blind once, and how he was healed. They went as far as to accost the man’s parents, hoping to dispel the notion that this individual was indeed even blind at one point. The Pharisee's had an agenda, of course, as they refused to attribute anything holy to Jesus. They continued to question the man until the seemingly exasperated gentleman retorts, "I don’t know whether [Jesus] is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see" (John 9:25)! As I heeded these words of comfort offered by my loved one, that biblical account of the blind man resonated within me in a profound way. The formerly blind man who received this miracle at the hands of Christ didn't have all the details around the healing, or even the healer. All he knew was that he had been healed, and was now a tangible, walking product of the power of Christ. I get it!

This evening I head into this commitment with a new-found focus and sense of comfort. And it's not because I jotted a couple scriptures on the palm of my hand. Or because I riddled my bible with a variety of make-shift bookmarks. I head into this weekend emboldened because while I may not have all the answers, I know the one who does-- as the cliche goes. And because I ran into this person, my Savior, though I was once blind I now see due to the transformation I've undergone since that fateful day we met. And I’m equipped, and ready to tell you all about it.

*Originally written June 18th, 2010, but in my haste to depart for this trip I had no time to post.*