called...

Acts 1:8 "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth."

we are all called...called to witness, called to service. it is easier sometimes to say that this person or that person is called to do God's work but this verse leaves no excuses. God doesn't give us a choice if we are His. we WILL be, not should be or could be, but WILL be His witnesses. it is up to us what kind of witness we will be. and we all have a jerusalem, judea/samaria and ends of the earth. for me, my jerusalem right now is here on the ship. my judea/samaria is west africa. and my ends of the earth, surprisingly, is home. the prayers and letters and thoughts and emails i think/send towards home. but those who are "home" have their jerusalem in their city and so on until their ends of the earth reach all the way to me and those i interact with daily. and that each of us should have some time of witness that is close and far reaching. whether it is in praying for those in the "ends of the earth" or just living Jesus in front of your neighbor. we each are called to be a witness to our jerusalem/judea/samaria/ends of the earth.

this was a life focus changing verse for me. to realize that i didn't have to be called to be His witness (although for now, i do feel called to what once was my ends of the earth) but that it is my work to be His witness wherever i am.

just a thought to share.