Dragging My Feet

Mark 16:15-18

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:
"Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

This would probably be one of those moments when I would have lost it. I imagine myself as one of the Apostles, seeing my teacher arrested, tortured and crucified, knowing that I may very well be next. I would have been like the Apostles and would have been in hiding trying to figure out what to do next. I would have probably passed out when Jesus arrived in my midst. But what about today? Jesus says to go out and to proclaim the Gospel, do I do that? Sometimes I do, many times it is hard, mostly because of what I think will happen in my head. My faith lacks because I have never tried to drive out demons except when I presume their presence around me. Have I spoke in tongues or tried to learn a new language to share the Gospel? No, and I will freely admit that my reaction to seeing a snake is to grab a shovel or hoe to put them out of existence, not to grab and hold them. I haven't tried drinking poison or laid hands on anyone sick. 

Why, perhaps opportunity, but more than likely lack of faith. I live is such a scientific world that when one of my children are sick I don't even think about laying hands on them let alone try to lay hands on a stranger. I read these lines and find myself much in the world of today. I want to be in Jesus' world. I want to go home to heaven. Reading these lines I see that me and Jesus got a lot of work to do together.

Jesus,

I love you, but for some reason I don't fully trust you, or rather, I don't trust my faith in you. Heal me please. Help me to see that you are with me. I have seen so many glorious things that you have done in my presence. I know you exist. I know that you are the Son of God. I love the Father and the Spirit and you with all my heart. I work daily to love my neighbor as myself. Please give me the courage and the faith to be the man that you know I can be. Thank you Jesus for another beautiful day. Help me make it count.