For the last couple of days we have been having snow and fog here in Albuquerque. As the ice and water evaporate off the streets it appears like a mist and at time it gets thick enough to barely see a few feet ahead of you. Many things you could see in the distance now disappear into the misty evening.

Life is often like a misty evening. We can see a little bit of what's coming our way, but much of what is to come and most of what is around us we never really see clearly. The world around us is obscured by our own perception filters.

We don't like to think about poverty so we look through the street people or drive around the "rough" neighborhoods. The street people distrust the "suits", so they too have filters.

We don't like the idea of domestic violence so we close our eyes to it. If it's happening in our lives we put up our own mist to keep others from seeing because of our shame.

We fear death so we don't talk about it. That doesn't stop people from dying or help those who are grieving. 

We're self focused so we simply don't see the needs of those around us. That doesn't fill the needs. 

People are starving but we block it out because it's far away. People are being persecuted for their faith, but we don't want to hear about it so we say the reports must be exaggerated. Injustice abounds, but as long as it doesn't impact us, we keep it out beyond the mist so we don't have to deal with it.

The sad part is that the places we can do the most good are hidden by our mists. There are untold ministry opportunities, countless people waiting to hear of the love of God and His forgiveness, and innumerable people waiting to learn that someone cares. When we step out of our comfort zones into the mist we become the ambassadors Christ intended us to be.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 NIV

When we step into the mist, we not only bring Christ to others, we grow as well. Our prejudices are shattered, our pride is humbled and we realize we're not the center of the universe (sorry to shatter your illusions, but the sun doesn't revolve around you and I, and most of the billions of the people in the world don't know we exist).

When we step into the mist in the name of Christ, it's never in vain. It pleases the Father. 

"His master replied, `Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matthew 25:23 NIV

The choice is yours. Stay within the comfortable little world that you have created in you own mind and never know what He has in mind for you, or step into the mist to be challenged, to grow, to share the truth and to please the Father.

Until next time, I pray you go out into the mist and beyond and declare to a lost and hurting world that "Jesus loves you" through your words, your deeds, your generosity and your love.

Be blessed 

Hallelu Yah!