Mistaken for Jesus

"I want you to really consider this question and answer in your heart of hearts. How often are you mistaken for Jesus?" - Ella Tenold

It's very easy to get caught up in the day by day activities and responsibilities here on the Springs of Love campus. Teach some classes, help some patients, make meals, grade papers, be the official unofficial boys dean, spending time with my kids, all the things.

We can get so caught up in it all that we forget what was our appearance in it all. What did we say? How did we carry ourselves? Did we reflect Jesus?

When I go to the villages, I try to make an effort, if I remember, to pray with all of my patients. To be quite honest, I have learned to not have faith in the medicines I give or the things I tell the patients to do and so on. I'm simply just a 22 year old AS level graduate nurse who decided to practice nursing right outside of college in an Indian jungle instead of getting experience at an American hospital.

And it's times when I realize and remember this that I am reminded how much I need to rely on God for everything nursing wise (and life). God is the one who heals the patients when their hospital medicines aren't working and the patients have lost hope. He is the one who gives me instruction on what to give the patient when I have no idea what disease has befallen him. He is the one who gives them total healing and helps them get about their daily lives.

And I wonder in it all, do they see Jesus as this 6 foot tall black man walks out of their terribly small house?

Do they see a sacrifice even remotely similar to His sacrifice for you and me?

Do they see selflessness in my actions and kindness in my words and mercy in my body language?

Do they see a smile glistening from my face and my presence?

Do they say, "Have you met that Jesus man who walks around the village, healing and praying with people?" to others as they pass by?

The word says in John 3:30 that "I must decrease and He must increase." I sometimes wonder if that means that people will mistake us Christ loving, people loving individuals as little Jesus' more and more.

More and more.

Think about it. Pray about it.

I am.

And finally, "think, when was the last time you were mistaken for Jesus?" -Ella Tenold.

Albza