Still Walking

Back in the saddle ...

March 9:  Deuteronomy 10-12, Mark 16

"When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they could go and anoint Jesus' dead body.  Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb.  They were saying to each other, 'Who's going to roll the stone away from the entrance for us?' "  Mark 16:1-3

What an act of faith!  Of course, we know how much these women - like so many others - loved Jesus because of His deep love for them, for all of us really.  We could excuse their actions as going through the motions of right response in the grip of grief, of desperation seeking relief or resolution. It would be blind and heartless, I think, but we could even consider them as unthinking that Sunday morning, to have no clue how they were gonna pull this off.

I choose, however, to consider what those women did as a great act of faith.  They walked anyway.  They haven't figured out how that stone was gonna get moved.  They had no sure contact who could help, had no plan A really to get to Jesus that they might anoint him.  But, they walked anyway.  It was the right thing to do, what they wanted to do for Jesus.  And, this is where I find myself convicted.  I am guilty of waiting ... waiting until I know the plan is foolproof and sure.  Waiting until I know I will be successful, or, at least, be able to finish the task (and get credit for trying).  These gals didn't know if they'd even be able to begin their task, but they walked anyway.

After having spent time with Jesus - hearing him teach with authority, seeing him love without boundaries, watching him hold others in love just as surely as he held them accountable (thank you, Bishop Carder!), and watching him just be Who is was/is/will always be - they could do nothing less than walk anyway.  They were determined to love and, so, trusted God would enable or empower them by making the best way possible.  I want to live with that kind of trust.  I'll be more specific:  I want to live with that kind of confidence in the trustworthiness of God (because God always is) and in God's crazy bent to trust me to be faithful in following Jesus (even though I mess that up regularly).

Patient and Loving God, you already know before I confess how hesitant I am. I often chicken out of walking in faith; instead, I wait for evidence that the plan will lead to a favorable outcome and, so, the walking is no risk.  Mustard seed faith, the kind Jesus says any of us - even me - can have, tells us to start walking and let God work out the rest.  I want that kind of bold faith, Lord.  Thank you for not giving up on me, for giving me chance after chance to experience this kind of courageous faith.  Here I go, Lord; go before me, get my back, and better still ... walk with me.  Please.  Let it be so.