Day 30
Jesus is Calling You
Reflection By: Kathleen Meisinger

As we observe Jesus' encounter with Bartimaeus, what is the question you would like to ask Jesus?

I was asking Our Lord for a more meaningful life and was drawn to sign up for a Life In The Spirit Seminar . As I listened and heard those around me, I was filled with an insatiable hunger for reading and praying with the Bible. So I continued to ask Jesus to take the blinders from my eyes and my heart and allow me to know and understand Him more personally.

Each day I am amazed at the many applications to my daily life I continue to find in these sacred words. I signed up for the Little Rock Bible Study and now the Creeds Bible Study, and I continue to see the intense love God has for me and each one of us and He continues to call us to a faithful response from each of our hearts to follow Him. This saying "yes" to follow seems to be a careful LISTENING to His Word and an OBEYING heart in response.

This learning gives me the focus and energy to live my day with courage, faith, trust in Jesus Christ and an attitude of prayer and gratitude.

My yearning for the knowledge of the Bible and church teachings needs also to be accompanied by a personal reflection. My response to this is setting my alarm 30 minutes early and spending time with Jesus and His Word. This reflective time each day:

Strengthens my faith,
Is the well-source of my energy,
Is an inner drive for my creative energy for my day,
It is the living, walking, seeing, hearing, feeling force in my life.
"Thank you, Lord, I'm following You today!"

Some days I ask the same question Bartimaeus did - "Lord, let me see again."

I pray often, Lord, let me see Your will in my life;
Let me see Your face in those I meet, greet and work with today;
Let me see the beauty of Your creation;
Let me see Your suffering in others so I'm patient and understanding with them.

Other days I pray for persistence.

For the removal or healing of a nagging habit of sin;
For patience and courage through a time of diagnosis and illness;
For patience, acceptance and courage to endure my personal struggle in life;
At every level: physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual.

Bartimaeus's persistent requests won healing from Jesus. I have learned that it is the little acts of faith that I make through the day that strengthens me.

Thanking the Holy Spirit for an inspiration, creative thought or plan that "just popped into my head,"
Thanking for a certain little joy that I sense during the day;
Thanking God for all in my life that has been good and enduring;
Having faith to ask God to Heal a hurt or illness;
Help in a particular problem I am having in the middle of life today;
Arrange a situation I desire;
Give me a clear picture, view, of what I am to do next in my life or in my future;
Show me how I can deepen my personal relationship with Him today - show me a clear way, I'm listening Lord.

I am grateful for Bartimaeus' example of having the strong faith to believe in Jesus and continue to ask for a deeper relationship with Him - Jesus says "All right, it's done, go your way. Your faith has healed you."