“So they arrived on the other side of the lake . . .” 

The main point here is that Jesus went out of his way to connect with Legion.  Going in this direction was not on his “route.”  Great leadership calls are not always going to be “along the way.”  As I heard years ago, ministry is “in the interruption.”

Do you need to go out of your way to help someone?  Is there a direction your life seems to be pulling toward that appears to be “out of the way?”

“ . . . rushed out to meet him from the tombs where he was living.”

I talk to people all the time who come to see me from the tombs where they were living.  What are tombs?  Places opposite of life.  Places that do not add life, but slowly decay life, or are dead.

You have to look for yourself, but tombs can be a lot of things in 2012.  I am restraining from making a list here . . . you fill in the blanks.  What are the tombs that people are living in that you see?

“No one could do anything with him.”

A life gone “wild.”  This could be spouse looking into the future and internally giving up, sighing with no sense of hope.  This could be a parent looking into the life of their 20 something and thinking – it’s over, and fearing the phone calls at home.  This could be a person viewing his or her own life and thinking – too far-gone, I cannot make a change now, or at this age.

The good news is that the “no way” person in this story is healed to the point of, “And they were all simply amazed!”  I was with two of my board members last week who combined have lost over 80 pounds in 7 months.  I received a note from a 35 year old past YL kid who is doing “great in my sobriety!”  Marni and I had a couple come to our doorway after an affair and it appeared – “No way,” and they are doing great through counseling and therapy.

“What have you got to do with me Jesus?”

I wanted to sometime write a blog entry as an open letter to past Young Lifer’s who are not engaged with their faith today.  One of the reasons that I believe that people stray away is that they forget what “Jesus has to do with them.”  Remember the Old Testament theme of constantly “forgetting.”

My challenge to anyone out there asking this question is simply to do two things.  (1) Pray and ask God to reveal Himself to you.  Admit you have not been doing it very well on your own.  Believe that He is hearing you speak.  Commit what you sense he is saying to you in your gut.  (2) Get a bible and start to read a little from John everyday.  The bible is alive and breathing! (2 Tim. 3:16)  See what happens!

“For God’s sake don’t torture me!”

Legion, just prior to being healed from his completely chaotic and out of control life, actually thought that following and knowing Jesus would be TORTURE.  Wow, could not be farther from the truth right?  Well, there are some of you who might think that living in this “religious box” is torture.  It’s all rules right?

“I have come to bring life, and full life at that!”  John 10:10 with a small Sco paraphrase.  Is it possible that Satan’s great advertising campaign he puts on is for people to think how boring, non-life giving, nerdy, square, prude, and tiresome it would be to follow Jesus – torture really!  Think about it.  Do you think Satan would want you to come out from the tombs?

“Sitting there properly clothed and perfectly sane.”

The crazy-angry-cuttin’ himself-living in the tombs guy has seen a LIFE CHANGE.  Jesus changes lives.  Jesus gives eternal purpose to lives.  Jesus impacts rich peoples lives.  Jesus changes addicted lives.  Jesus meets people who have broken lives.  Jesus assists us in living the life we “were designed to live.”

What is the one aspect of your life you would like to see “properly clothed and perfectly sane?”  Or, more simply, the one part of your life you want Jesus to CHANGE.  He can you know!

Have a great Tuesday, from a life that stands “simply amazed!”

Eric

**All of this came from Mark 5:1-20, Phillips