If you asked me a year ago what topped my list of things to do over the next year, Baptism wouldn’t have made it; however, the fact that we are here together today is testimony to the power of Jesus.
My journey to Jesus is analogous to the parable of the lost son (Luke 15:11-32). I was once a churchgoer during my childhood and adolescence but stepped away from my faith. However, through my daughter and the difficult events of the pandemic over the last few years, I felt the urge to reach out and open a bible, so I could teach her some values in a world with standards that are constantly changing. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3)”. In doing so, I discovered so much truth in the words of God and Jesus; the answers were always here, but somehow they only began to resonate with me now. I had to open my hardened heart to Jesus to find truth in his words.
Finding truth in his words, however, is not enough for transformation and to feed your spirit. It requires you to reflect and identify sin and repent. Honestly, those two words are quite loaded, especially for me as a new Christian; however, when you put the two together and look at the Greek translations, sin is when you “miss the mark” and repentance is “changing your mind”. The combination of the two is changing your mind when you find that you have missed the mark and true transformation comes when you let Christ be your shepherd.
Last year my mom was forced into retirement because of scoliosis. She loved working and would have continued to do so if she didn’t have this ailment. My mom asked if I could help make an appointment to see this physiotherapist in Sacramento, who, from the referral of her friends can help heal anyone and only charges 150 dollars a session. Skeptical and feeding off of the unimposing nature of my mom, I didn’t really jump to offer any help. I also selfishly thought of the time and money it would take for me to go with her, using my new job and young family as an excuse. It wasn’t until I read the gospels more closely and reflected on it that I knew this was not the way. I changed my position and we went on that trip together. If you ask my mom today, she’ll tell you she’s feeling 70% better and that number grows each time. Our relationship has also improved and I have grown stronger in my faith, trusting Jesus as my shepherd.
It turned out that the physiotherapist we visited was a retired orthopaedic surgeon and a follower of Christ, who continues to help those in need because of the grace of God. Christ has blessed him with gifts to serve others, and he understood that. Jesus knew of his death and didn’t spend his last days sitting at the head of the table waiting to be served. He continued to serve his brothers and sisters until his very last day; as we saw him humbly washing his disciple’s feet, emphasizing there is no duty beneath you when serving others.
Following Jesus is not a destination but a journey. I have continued to encounter many crossroads since and one path is guarded by a narrow gate, the way Jesus walks, and a broad gate, the one I am used to crossing along with many others. Today I am dedicating myself to journey with Jesus into the narrow path when I find myself at these crossroads. I pray for all of us to continue opening our hearts to the word of God and Jesus to discover the truth, take the narrow path when we find ourselves at a crossroads, and let Jesus guide us as our shepherd.
