A Lesson in Discipleship

Its been so long since I've felt a desire to write. However tonight, I am overwhelmed with emotions and don't seem to know what to do with them all. Emotions of love, of gratitude, of convictions. Its been an Easter quite different than any I would have imagined or that I imagine having in the future. But dispite the myriad of activities that did not seem fitting of what an Easter should be, the opportunity to celebrate the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ still found way to reveal itself.

I'm listening to the hymn Amazing Grace one of the most touching hymns regarding the miracle of a blind man finding Jesus Christ and being blessed by the effects of the Atonement. My heart grows tender just listening and remembering my dear sweet Savior.

For some unknown reason today my mind recollected some experiences from my mission. President Arnold, our area authority was speaking at a Zone Conference and was encouraging us to improve the number of street contacts we made each day. How as representatives of Jesus Christ we should feel an urgency to share the message with everyone around us, no matter what. The amount of street contacts being made in the mission by the missionaries at that time was very low. The reason for the low stats was most likely the fear of rejection. President Arnold continued to bear his testimony about being a representative of Christ and the responsibility to carry His message to every ear that could hear the message. Inevitably we would be rejected by some who did not want to hear. Inevitably some would mock, lie, be cruel to, or ridicule us as we tried to proclaim the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. The small amount of rejection that we were asked to face compared to the ridicule and rejection that Christ faced and the price He paid in our behalves are far from being similiar. The message that President Arnold wanted to instill in us was that we should be proud to be rejected for Jesus Christ. Whatever the cost to spread the message of Jesus Christ and be representatives of Him, we should be honored to pay.

I don't have the words to explain what that means adequately except that I know when I faced rejection after that, it did not hurt. I was being rejected for the cause of Jesus Christ. In the like matter that a soldier fights for his country and is willing to lay down even his life. It seems frivolous to think that someone might shrink from the opportunity to represent Jesus Christ if it meant only that that person would face a small amount of rejection. But sometimes in the rush of life, our forgetfulness, and our ego-centric habits, we shrink from the call to stand as witnesses of Christ at all times, in all things, and in all places.

Today served as a reminder to me to stand as a witness of Christ at all times, in all things and in all places. It is the very least that I can do to show my gratitude for what has been given to me by my Savior. I would be proud to be rejected for my Savior. Again, words do not suffice, nor do I want to extract those sacred feelings that live within my soul that reflect the love and gratitude that I have for my Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ.