I AM Alive

Good morning,

I was in Florida recently and met two people, a man and a woman, while helping my good friends remodel their condo. It has been a long time since I heard someone say they are not spiritual or religious, because they were so messed up by religion as a kid. He mentioned he would never go near that again. The lady I met had just lost a son, her only child, to a car crash and she had early onset of Parkinson’s disease. She had a shirt on that said, “I AM alive.” I asked her, before I knew her story if the “I AM” was in reference to God? She answered a quick, frank, “NO!”

I tell you my heart went out for both of these people so much!!! I wanted to hug that lady and take it all away! What do you say to someone who is feeling judged by or mad at God, especially when you totally get why they feel this way?

The thing I feel to do is pray for them. I ask Jesus to start showing the person I am praying for that He is real and that He will help them in a personal relationship. People/religion cause guilt and condemnation. Sin in the world caused disease. People cause car accidents. God sent Jesus to make a way for sin to be overcome once and for all. Jesus did that. Jesus came for the sinners, sick people, oppressed people. Jesus said in Luke 5:31: And Jesus replied to them. It is not those who are healthy who need a physician but those who are sick.

We all have a story. Everyone has the sunshine on them, everyone has difficulties on them! We can’t make people love Jesus. We can live our life sharing the good and the bad and how we always have hope with God. We don’t get to escape loss, difficulty, but we get to have comfort and direction when the pain is so great that we just can’t bare it. We can have compassion, love, and an outstretched hand.

The most important way to share the love of Jesus Christ is by the story of our life. If we are kind, loving, understanding, quick to forgive, show mercy and grace to people around us, and just give thanks to Jesus out loud and for people to see. You can’t talk someone into turning to Jesus. We show the personal relationship, the love of Christ in our life and that opens the doors that Jesus will walk through to the people who have rejected Him or don’t know Him.

Love you, Teri