17,000 vibrant, young Christians gathered in Indianapolis a few weeks ago. I was fortunate, and proud, to count myself among them. 5 days of singing, learning, and worshiping His glory, and it is amazing what the body can do when the soul is thirsting! The Biking for Babies crew went 5 days with minimal sleep and countless hours standing at our booth interacting with this throng of young adults. Exhausting for the body, yes, but as one of those standing uncomfortably on solid concrete for hours, I can also tell you I never felt more alive in 2019. SEEK advertised…and delivered. We all truly “encountered something more.”
So here I am on my couch, with my computer, again. No more hymns, no more spiritual presentations, no more…what does that mean for us? What happens AFTER we encounter Christ? Well, one option is to just wait. Wait for the next SEEK, wait for the next retreat, or wait until you get to meet Him face to face. SPOILER ALERT, I do NOT recommend this option!
And my recommendation does not come without some merit.
It comes from one of my favorite scenes in the Gospel. I’ll take you to the very end of John’s Gospel, where Jesus meets with his closest apostles one last time. It is one of my favorites because you can just feel Peter’s guilt dripping from the pages as he repents to Jesus for denying Him three times before the Passion. To me, this is one of the most intimate encounters Peter has with Christ. Face to face, he declares his love for Christ three times. IMMEDIATELY after this declaration, Jesus responds, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:17), AND He wasn’t finished! Jesus would then go on to foretell Peter’s death and end with, “Follow me.” (John 21:19)
I want you to think about the last time you encountered Christ or felt the Holy Spirit: what was said to you afterwards? We physically hear silence, but know He is speaking; to your heart, to your mind, to your soul, He is speaking–are we listening? From this passage, we know what He is telling us: feed His sheep. Notice there is no verbal response from Peter, BUT believe me, there is a response. All you have to do is flip a few pages into the first couple chapters of Acts and BAM!! There Peter is, the head of the disciples (Acts 1:15-26) and the first to directly address the Eleven after Pentecost (Acts 2:14-36). Peter didn’t need any words to respond to Jesus’s call; he SHOWED Jesus his response.
And that is exactly what we are called to do.
You too are being called, so what is your response? No, not all of you are called to be Biking for Babies missionaries, but I met a lot of people at SEEK who are on my heart. I believe most of those same people are in fact called to join Biking for Babies…I have no shame in sharing that! But what we ask of our missionaries is not easy…just like Peter’s call (hey, at least I didn’t foreshadow your death!)…and countless other Christians’ calls to “follow Him.”
That is the point.
If it were easy, it wouldn’t affect anyone. If it were easy, it wouldn’t change our country. If it were easy, it would not be Christ’s calling.
You can make excuses: I can’t get time off, I have to work, I don’t have a bike, I have a dog to feed, I have family vacation, I have plants that will die if I leave! I’ve heard them all. And to be clear, I’ve had plenty of excuses over the years as a missionary! Each year I was sure THIS YEAR would be my last ride…and here I am.
So, will you join me in “feeding” the pregnancy resources across this country? Will you join me in following Him who calls us to action, who calls us to pick up our cross (or bike!)? Will you be like Peter and be a witness? Because make no mistake, you have been called, and He is waiting for a response.
Early Bird discount ($15 off!) for missionary applications ends tomorrow, January 15 at midnight (CT). Applications are open until March 1. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to “seek something more!” Learn more about being a B4B, pro-life missionary at www.www.bikingforbabies.com/join.
