"No Mere Mortals".....Musings from Nationals

A few days ago, I returned home from my last national tournament as a Bible quizzer.  In the days following, there has been one thought that is yet to leave my mind - "There are no ordinary people.  You have never talked to a mere mortal..." (C. S. Lewis)

Lewis goes on to say "...Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors..."

I met a lot of people this past week at this event, many different types.  Some of them I've known for a while, while others I had met a few months prior and I knew I would see them again next season.  But sadly there were also several others I met this weekend that I know I may never see again.

It's strange to try and explain how you can feel so connected to people after only knowing them for a few days.  It would be even harder to explain it to non-Christians.  Paul goes into great detail in order to explain to us how we belong to each other as brothers and sisters, how "[we] are the body of Christ and individually members of it." (1 Cor. 12:27)

Lewis understood something greatly profound when he penned those words in The Weight of Glory.  

"You have never talked to a mere mortal..." - each and every person we come in contact with has a soul that will either abide in life or death for all time.  How we treat people and the things we say to them will shape their souls for eternity.  You don't just meet people by accident.  The longer you live, the more you realize that we leave marks wherever we go.  You leave pieces of yourself everywhere and with everyone, and there will be people whose lives may be entirely changed by something you said or did without realizing it.

The grace of God is a great and powerful thing - and isn't it beautiful how He chooses to use us "...to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6)  [If you're not familiar with this call - I encourage you to read the full chapter, it's one of my favorites.]

There are people I've met who have impacted my life in profound ways - and God could decide to take me tomorrow and I'll never see them again this side of eternity.  But this much I do know - as long as I have today, I want to be the person who leaves the mark of Jesus with everyone I meet.  I never want to forget the importance of the souls that cross my path.  I want to bless others as I have been blessed this past week.

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