Only, Always

Is there a more beautiful, human picture of the resurrection than conversion? Of course we know (or at least try to know) the depth and power that the literal resurrection has. It's mystical and magical but not too far-fetched to believe when seen with the eyes of faith. But still God seems to enjoy reaching way down into us to show us a real, earthly, human portrait of what the His love for us truly means. And the conversion of the human person is the story of a soul's resurrection, isn't it?

Didn't Saul seem dead and gone? Even more dead and gone than if he had physically died, perhaps. A black soul, a lost cause, a son of darkness. "Ravaging the church" . . . ravaging. It isn't hard to imagine a modern evil that ravages. Abortion, adultery, murder, abandonment, hatred, lust, greed.

Lost causes? No. Jesus' promise does not fail, even for a soul like Saul's. The conversion of Saint Paul is so mind-blowing and surreal that I can't help but to trust the words of Christ implicitly when he says, "I will raise him up on the last day." Because He will, won't He? Because He did.

How weak my faith is, so often, when it comes to really trusting God's ability to reach down into the heart of man and turn him towards the Light. How beautiful the story of Saul. How beautiful the story of you and me.

We should only hope always, shouldn't we?

Blythe Fike is the wife of Kirby and mother of 5 smallish kids. She homeschools and loves the quiet life in small town SoCal. You can find out more about her here.

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