It is time to stand out

There is a young man who is 13 years old who preached in church last week. He shared from 1st Corinthians 16: 13 “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” He was talking about standing out as Christian. His Message was that we should standout in our work, family and with people we interact with. We were created to have impact and stand out. Wherever we are we should stand out for Jesus Christ holistically. We can only do this with the help of the Holy Sprit. How should we stand out? We must have a growing relationship with God. Am I just a Sunday Christian? It got me thinking long and hard about what God has called us to do. Sometimes it is easily to forget the impact of just living our lives and the decisions we make. His words are a reminder to me about someone who is remarkable.

Aggie is 12 years old with a disability. She has been crawling most of her life and has never walked. Her feet are bent- what we call clubbed feet, also has bent knees and wrists. She is brilliant but has never stepped in school or church. She can’t write her name because she has never held a pen/pencil. Aggie has 11 siblings and her parents are poor, so she stays home and doesn’t go to school. We first met her more than a year ago. They live in Mtito Andei and had come looking for help. Her mum carried her on her back when she needs to go anywhere with her like going to hospital.

Since there was so much to be done, we began with her knees to straighten them first. When she came last year for her knee surgery, Elizabeth -our clinic manager encouraged her mum and told her never to give up on Aggie. These words stayed with her all this time. She said she never forgot these words because most people didn’t see Aggie as a person. When you see Aggie, she is small and looks like she is 5 or 6 years old, but mentally she is sharp. Most people don’t talk to her because they think she doesn’t understand. But she is eloquent in Swahili and Kikamba. This month we worked on her feet and applied casts so that she can eventually walk. We are hopeful that next year she can go to school. If all goes well her feet will heal well and she can learn how to walk. She is excited about what is happening. She was holding a pencil for the first time and wants to learn how to write her name. Elizabeth gave her a brand new pencil and a note book- the ones that Medical representatives keep giving doctors. Aggie was all smiles in the ward and occasionally you can see her admiring her toes.

The other day, Aggie and her mum gave their lives to Christ. They had a conversation with Elizabeth and wanted a relationship with God- the one she serves. The only reason she could want that is because Elizabeth was very intentional about her walk with God. It is easy to see that she Loves God and she inspires me.

What are you doing to stand out for God and have impact to the people around you? How many people can say they want to know God and have a relationship with him because they have observed your life?