Stones

For the last few days I have been reading and re-reading the book of Acts. Before now, I always avoided the book because I saw it simply as a history lesson of the early church and nothing more. But I was wrong (shocking...really). As I was reading the story of Stephen I was thinking about the trust and passion he had for God's story. Even as the mob was barraging him with stones, Stephen had unfailing trust in what God was doing. Sometimes when I am in conversation with others I will bring up something really controversial that I am overly passionate for, and when I am seriously challenged by their reactions and reasoning, I back down. It is interesting because Stephen didn't do that at all. When stones were taking flesh and blood off of his body, he had faith. He even says right before his death, "Jesus, don't hold this over them!" I get so emotional when I read this that I get shivers throughout my entire body. The emotion isn't from feeling for Stephen, but feeling that I am not like Stephen. If I stood in Stephens shoes and my very life was challenged, I would cower down in fear and probably reject God. It's not because I don't believe, but my relationship with God just isn't that good. I think we all fall into this same thing and my prayer is that we can be strong like Stephen to endure even the hardest of situations.