Following!

I'm quite excited!! The number of folk who are 'following' this blog has risen to five! :-) Anyone else who wishes to do so will find the appropriate facility in the left-hand side-bar!

It reminds me of an occasion, many years ago, when our daughters were still going on holiday with my wife and me. We were staying with a number of friends in various parts of continental Europe and had arrived in Belgium, where we were to stay overnight, in Brussels, with friends from the Christian organisation Operation Mobilisation [http://www.uk.om.org/]. We had an address, but it was getting dark and, in spite of having used the one Belgian franc that we had to telephone for directions, we were totally lost. Asking directions from a variety of Belgian worthies had proved to be of no use - either they were speaking Flemish; or my French hadn't fully 'kicked in'!

As we drove along one, obviously residential, street, I noticed a young man heading towards the car in a driveway. On the assumption that someone younger might have a better command of the English language than any of the older folk with whom we had spoken; or that he might be able to understand my poor French; I stopped the car, got out, and went over to make my enquiry. As soon as I mentioned the address to which we were heading, he uttered just two words - "Follow me!" Then, he led the way to the end of the street in which OM had their quarters.

Recently, I had occasion to remind some young friends that Christianity is not a religion; it's a relationship. The man-made religions of the world tell us to do this, and do that, in the hope that we might gain the favour of the deity. But the Christian faith states that Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of all that is, took upon Himself human flesh and, in the Persona of the Son, paid the penalty for my sin, and for the sin of all who will accept His great sacrifice on their behalf.

And, in Jesus, He doesn't give us a list of rules and regulations to follow. He says "Follow Me!". (Matt.4:19 inter al) He doesn't give us directions. He says "I am the Way, ..." (John 14:6). He doesn't provide a series of tasks that we must complete. He says "I am among you as the One who serves." (Luke 22:27)

I am very grateful to the five folk who have decided to follow my musings. But I am eternally grateful that the Lord has invited me to follow Him! The invitation is to you, as well!