Out of the Ashes – by Toni Babcock
Imagine what it would be like to get Jesus to stand still - I mean to stop him right in his tracks. In that serendipitous moment, all the power of the universe would be zeroed in on you and your problem. Wow, what would that be like?
Let's say you are blind. A stick banging blind beggar, with nothing but the filthy rags you wear on your back. Suddenly you hear someone calling out "Here comes Jesus of Nazareth!"
You know what to do. This is no time for socially acceptable behaviors. You have to move fast - so you start moving your mouth, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
The crowd of people around you start telling you to shut up - but you don't. You get louder. That gets Jesus' attention. Then he stops and calls out for YOU. Like I said - Wow.
This story is the story of a real blind beggar found in (Mark 10:46-52 KJV) called Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus stopped Jesus in his tracks. Do we? He was willing to stand out in a crowd who disapproved of him. How about us? He was accepting of no other Savior than Jesus to fix his problem. He was willing to call Him Lord. He was willing to peel off the filthy outer garments of his old life that held him down in order come to Jesus as fast as possible, and was blessed to hear Jesus ask of him, what he wanted Him to do. "Lord, that I might receive my sight," he said. "And Jesus said unto Him, 'Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole'. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way," (Mark 10:51-52 KJV).
Toni writes from Minnesota. Read more of her work including “The Stone Writer” HERE. | 
