Wake up Call

Acts 9:1-19 tells the story of an amazing transformation. There was a very powerful man named Saul who used his influence to persecute the early Christians. As he was traveling to another town to arrest all of Jesus’ followers, God stopped him in the road and changed his life.

“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’ The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything…Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.”

After that, Saul became Paul who was one of the most influential Christians in the early church. He traveled all over Greece and modern Turkey and preached to thousands of people. Paul is even thought to be the author of many of the books of the New Testament.
When I read this passage, the thing that struck me the most was how God used blindness, a physical issue, as a wake up call to bring Paul where he needed to be spiritually. Recently I have been thinking about my journey since my diagnosis and realizing that, in some ways, going through this has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Up until now, I had been just going through life somewhat aimlessly. I was a Christian, a relatively good person, successful, and married to the right guy, but I was not living with intention. Like Paul, God has kind of stopped me in my path and has allowed me to deal with a physical illness, I believe, to bring me to where I need to be spiritually and mentally. My disease has caused me to reevaluate what I want out of life and to start living with a purpose.

In the passage, after 3 days, God completely healed Paul and gave him back his sight. At that point, Paul could have gone back to his old life of persecuting the Christians. He could have become a Christian and just lived a quiet, simple life serving God in his hometown. Instead, Paul became one of the most influential missionaries in the early church. His encounter with God changed him forever so that he could not just sit around, but had to spread the news of the gospel with everyone. In my own life, I hope and pray not only that God will heal me of my disease, but also that, if he does, I do not lose the lessons I have learned from this experience. I pray that I never go back to the way I was before and that I continue to live with a positive mindset and with a purpose. And I pray that through my experience, I can be an encouragement and a positive influence on other people in my daily life and through this blog.