GO!

One random, July wintery morning run two men attacked me.

Broad daylight – 9:15am

Busy road – 500m from home

Unexpected

Unwanted

Unwarranted

Rough hands pulling, shoving

Fighting, kicking, screaming

Screwdriver glinting, aimed at my chest

Sand, blood, fear, sweat mingled together.

I REMEMBER – TOO CLEARLY – THAT DAY –  EVERY DAY

The end of this run culminated in a doctor’s visit, people racing to help me and the two men being arrested. DRAMATIC!

The rest of the story unfolded slowly – 3 weeks later I was summoned to court to give an account – to be a witness.

We had to wait until the court date was set. During that time the detective called often – “Can I drive you to court?”, “Are you still coming to court?”, “Do you remember that you have a court appearance?”

He was anxious that his star witness was going to be there on that day.

I was anxious – will I remember? what am I going to say? who will be there?

The day came – I was called to be a witness.

Breathless, anxious, yet calmly confident – all I had to do was give a truthful account of what happened to me.

Just tell the truth

Just be a witness

Reliable, honest, myself

I wasn’t called on to give witness to the mens’ names, or addresses or motives – or anything I didn’t know. I was called on to be a witness of what happened to me.

I had a helper, an attorney, who calmed me, prompted me and gave me reassurance. She wanted me to win.

The judicial system relies heavily on witnesses to tell the truth – so does God!

Acts 1:8 “You will be my witnesses…..even to the uttermost parts of the earth”

All we need to do is tell others of what we know. Tell people of what happened to you.

You don’t need to understand the deep theologies of God, or explain the mysteries of Christ – Just tell of what happened to YOU.

Jesus entrusted ordinary men and women (and even His brothers who were slightly mean to Him whilst He was on earth) as His reliable witnesses. He chose them because He knew their potential.

Teresa of Avila said (half a millennium ago), “Christ has no body now on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ must look out on the world.”

I doubt I will ever know all the answers to the questions surrounding THAT day but I will always know the truth of what happened.

The best thing about being a witness for Christ is that we recount a story of everlasting GOOD NEWS! It’s a true-life drama that impacts us positively. It empowers us, is filled with goodness, kindness, compassion. It is a life event that anyone can participate in and they benefit – the result of this GOOD NEWS story is a life filled with hope.  

We GET to be His witnesses with the help of the HOLY SPIRIT – we are not left alone to do this task.

Be brave, be bold!

Take the stand!

Tell of what Christ has done for you!

Others need to hear the truth.

People are looking for real not right!

Others need to experience His compassion and kindness

YOU NEED TO TELL THEM!

GO!