To Be One In The Crowd

"When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe." (Matthew 9:8)

I can't even imagine being one of the disciples. The thought of traveling with Jesus, eating with Jesus and hanging out with Jesus is so overwhelming. But one of the best things would be to see the people flock to Him as we approach each city. And to see the look of compassion in His eye as some bring their friends to Him - so that He can heal him, restore them, free them, forgive them. They know Him, and the love and power that He possesses. To be one in the crowd; a witness to the Lord of the universe miraculously healing His broken children.
To be one in the crowd of ministry is humbling and overwhelming - watching as people congregate, bringing their friends, their neighbors, their family members. In ten years of ministry, I am overwhelmed as I watch God use someone to draw their friends & family to Himself. Sometimes the people have been going to church their whole lives and God is moving in a new way in their friends or family...sometimes the people have been there for a week & invite a friend to come with them the next week. But they each have a hunger in their hearts - not all of them are aware of why they are there, but He knows. God has seen them at home, in their daily lives and relationships, in their workplaces and their hobbies. And He knows their deepest needs, fears, and dreams. In fact, He knows them more intimately than they know themselves. And He has chosen this place, these people, to draw His children back to Himself. To make them whole once again. To reveal more of Himself so that they can go back into their worlds and share the great news about this One who has drawn them back to what they were created for. To be in ministry is to be in the crowd. Watching Jesus draw people to His love. To watch as He pursues them and teaches them and grows them. To watch as they flock to His arms and His love - sometimes not even knowing why they are there. And to watch as they come running back to Him time and time again with their friends & family at their sides - eager to introduce them to Jesus, the reason the crowd has gathered. To be one in the crowd of ministry is a humbling experience that will never grow old.