Eating Hot Dogs At a Vegan Conference

From today’s reading…

Running around the Roman Empire 2,000 years ago talking about the King of Kings, the Messiah, the Savior, the Son of Man, the One True God was almost as risky as wearing a fur coat while eating a hot dog at a vegan conference.

Many of the early Christians were arrested, tortured, and executed, much like Christians in North Korea, China, the Middle East, and Africa today…but I digress.

Yet they would not—could not—keep quiet.

These men and women were filled with the Holy Spirit.

They were called, inspired, and empowered by that same Holy Spirit to help their brothers and sisters see, run to, and embrace the light, even if it brought harm and death to them.

But many ignored the message John, Paul, and all the Apostles and prophets proclaimed. 

Most do not listen today.

But most do eventually hear the message.

However, it usually takes something tragic to make them open their eyes and ears. A near-death experience. A medical scare. The loss of a loved one. Hitting rock bottom and realizing the only way out is via the lifeline God has always held for you.

I’ve seen similar “delayed-learning” scenarios twice with my second son.

After becoming an All-Star in baseball he gave it up—over our protestations—to play football starting in 8th grade only to admit—about five years later—the he wished he had listened to us and stuck with baseball.

Likewise, he saw me train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and ramble on about how great it is for nearly three years before he finally joined me.

Like me, he was instantly hooked and again admitted he wished he had taken my advice and started training earlier.

We must trust the process.

We must trust that God has a plan and that things happen in their own time. 

If you’re fortunate enough to have found God, prove it by not looking down on non-believers, the questioning, and the searching. Prove you’ve found God by loving, encouraging, and leading like He does.

It will help others find the path while also helping you to… 

Stay the course. Keep the faith. Endure.