Maria fell against me gasping in fright, "What was that? Where are we? How did we get here?"
I chuckled out loud and her eyes came to mine in exasperation.
"Do you remember in the Book of Acts, when Philip is transported from one place to another in the same day by the Spirit of God?"
"Yes, but he was an apostle! I'm just ordinary."
"You are a daughter of Christ and an heir to the Kingdom of God. Your spirit is more precious than all the wealth of this world combined together and there is nothing that your Savior hasn't already done for you. You are made worthy for all things because of His sacrifice for you, which makes you blameless before God. You're important! Vitally important and there is nothing ordinary about an individual who has an eternal heavenly destination. To borrow from the Marine Corps you are one of the few, the proud, and the brave. I didn't mean to just preach at you so heavily, but it burdens me when I see individuals under value themselves as to what God can bless them to do for His righteous causes."
Maria was looking at me as if she was seeing a new side of something, "You really think I'm that important?"
"I do, but much more significant than what I think is how Jesus thinks about you."
She nodded.
The temperature was warm and the country lane we stood in promised to offer a good long walk to wherever we were going.
"I'll hold your coat and pack for you if you'd like while we walk." I offered obligingly.
She handed me her pack and I slung it over my shoulder. Then she slipped off her leather coat and handed it to me and I hung it over my arm with my coat. We started out with her looking around at every countryside sight, while I looked at her.
It was a wonder that I didn't trip and fall over flat onto my face. I watched her warm brown skin darken and she glanced up at me inquiringly in regards to my intense perusal of her.
"Is there something on my face or something?" She asked.
I glanced away from her smiling into the distance.
She touched my shoulder hesitantly and I glanced back to her, "You can keep looking. I shouldn't have……. I know why you were looking and it's okay."
"I'm sorry that my looking at your beauty causes you such discomfort."
She stopped walking and so I stopped.
I waited patiently for her to speak.
"Well it shouldn't. There's absolutely nothing wrong with you!" She glanced away before adding, "I'm the problem."
Maria fell against me gasping in fright, "What was that? Where are we? How did we get here?"
I chuckled out loud and her eyes came to mine in exasperation.
"Do you remember in the Book of Acts, when Philip is transported from one place to another in the same day by the Spirit of God?"
"Yes, but he was an apostle! I'm just ordinary."
"You are a daughter of Christ and an heir to the Kingdom of God. Your spirit is more precious than all the wealth of this world combined together and there is nothing that your Savior hasn't already done for you. You are made worthy for all things because of His sacrifice for you, which makes you blameless before God. You're important! Vitally important and there is nothing ordinary about an individual who has an eternal heavenly destination. To borrow from the Marine Corps you are one of the few, the proud, and the brave. I didn't mean to just preach at you so heavily, but it burdens me when I see individuals under value themselves as to what God can bless them to do for His righteous causes."
Maria was looking at me as if she was seeing a new side of something, "You really think I'm that important?"
"I do, but much more significant than what I think is how Jesus thinks about you."
She nodded.
The temperature was warm and the country lane we stood in promised to offer a good long walk to wherever we were going.
"I'll hold your coat and pack for you if you'd like while we walk." I offered obligingly.
She handed me her pack and I slung it over my shoulder. Then she slipped off her leather coat and handed it to me and I hung it over my arm with my coat. We started out with her looking around at every countryside sight, while I looked at her.
It was a wonder that I didn't trip and fall over flat onto my face. I watched her warm brown skin darken and she glanced up at me inquiringly in regards to my intense perusal of her.
"Is there something on my face or something?" She asked.
I glanced away from her smiling into the distance.
She touched my shoulder hesitantly and I glanced back to her, "You can keep looking. I shouldn't have……. I know why you were looking and it's okay."
"I'm sorry that my looking at your beauty causes you such discomfort."
She stopped walking and so I stopped.
I waited patiently for her to speak.
"Well it shouldn't. There's absolutely nothing wrong with you!" She glanced away before adding, "I'm the problem."