"You must speak my words to them..."

Last week I found out that Miss Milly passed away. This dear lady was one of our favorite persons to visit when the boys and I go on walks in our community. Even my mother-in-law would visit her when she took the boys for walks. She loved to see the Jackson and Justus. She would marvel at Justus' blue eyes and Jackson's large hands. In a firm (but loving) tone, she would ask Jackson if he was obeying me, and if he wasn't minding me during our impromptu visits, she would gently scold him. I knew she was struggling with her health, but I had no idea how serious it was. A month ago, I knocked on her door and no one answered. I continued to stop by her house in the coming weeks with the same results. I began to fear the worst.

When I found out she had passed, I was deeply grieved and disturbed. I was upset at myself for not knowing she was in the hospital. I was angry with myself for never giving her my phone number. But most of all, I was grieved that I never fully shared the gospel with her. Sure, I had asked her if I could pray for her and I did pray for her on many occasions. But I never asked her if she had a relationship with the Savior. I never clearly shared the gospel message with her. It pains me to think that she might have passed from this world without the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Her death caused me to take a closer look at my presence in my neighborhood. I began to ask myself hard questions: Am I actively seeking out the lost and sharing Christ with them? Am I burdened by the reality that people in my community are living and dying without the hope that can only be found in our Lord?

I am a missionary but that does not mean I always live up to my calling. I realized I had become complacent. Not only that, but I think sometimes I refrained from sharing the gospel because I was afraid of rejection. I live in a neighborhood where there is much spiritual darkness- people who desperately need Christ but whose hearts have become hardened by misery, bitterness and doubt.

I recently read Ezekiel 2. This chapter both convicted and inspired me.

In this passage, God is instructing Ezekiel to proclaim His message to the rebellious Israelites- a people whose hearts were hard and unsubmissive.

"And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them...You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen.." (Ezekiel 2:6,7).

Whether people listen to me or not- whether they accept the message of salvation or reject it does not change my mission. God has called me to preach to good news to those living in the inner city. He has called me to be faithful. One commentary said this about Ezekiel: "He was called to faithfulness of the task, not to success as the world conceived it...faithfulness is the primary requisite of service, not apparent accomplishment."

May I forever be faithful to the mission God has called me to.