The Jesus in Me

My arms reach out to hold someone unable to wrap their arms around me. My smile touches others with tears in their eyes because I don’t quickly look away. “That is the Jesus in me.” I sit next to a person without hands. I gently touch their smooth stumps and give him or her a smile. Not a word is spoken. The smiles and the touch give the love and encouragement that is needed for them to go on. “That is the Jesus in me.”

Without the love of Jesus shining through, I too, would pass by those that were different. Trying not to look because they would make me feel uncomfortable or not sure what to say or do. Sometimes, we need to be reminded that in an instant we could be that person sitting in a wheel chair or the person burned without hands or a face could be someone we love. Many do not want to face that reality, so we look away.

What would Jesus do? He visited and touched the lepers and walked through their dark dreadful existence. Sure parts of their bodies were missing and I am sure the smell was sickening, but He walked alongside of them when others refused to see. He had no fear of catching what they had. Many of us treat people who are different as if they are contagious.

I am blessed to be a burn survivor and to have walked that long hard journey to recovery. I want to be a shining light for the Lord so others can see Him in me. I understand how people feel that have differences. It did not use to be easy for me to be around anyone that did not seem normal, (whatever that is). I remember being 16 and having to visit the mental institution where my father was living. Hearing the moaning sounds or the screams scared me. Going to the cafeteria with him and seeing people spit out their food and drinks into rags made me sick to my stomach. It broke my heart every time I had to leave him in that place.

Most of my adult life people with differences bothered me, until I was in an accident and terribly burned. I was given the opportunity to experience first hand lack of control of my life. I now was the one others avoided looking at. At the time I was in a body brace and wheel chair. I felt invisible! I avoided looking in a mirror or even a window so I did not have to see my reflection. People caring for me got impatient with my recovery and wanted to go on with their own lives. At that time I could not imagine why Jesus let this happen. As I slowly got better, I wanted to help others not feel invisible. Invisibility can look like obesity, scarring, deformity, or lack of self-esteem. Through my pain, I choose daily to allow the light of Jesus to show through me. With each new day, His understanding and His light would shine brighter. I had been able to walk in many of their shoes and could feel their feelings because I had been there too.

Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World”. He walked in all of our shoes, and experienced every difficulty on the earth. He told us He would not give us anything that we could not handle. If we desire to be like Him, we should rejoice in every trial that comes our way. Let the Jesus in you shine bright so others can see and experience Him living in you.

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