Near is Dear

I travel a good bit and realize I am blessed to be able to do this. I especially enjoy the western part of the United States. I’ve had thoughts, from time to time, about how great it would be to live in one of the towns in that part of the country and be close to such striking landscapes. But I reside in the southeast part of the USA and I’ve come to appreciate a number of the special photographic opportunities in this area:

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All of the above photographs are from places that are within two hour’s drive of where I live.

During Jesus’ ministry on earth, he encountered scores of individuals. One such encounter is related in the eighth chapter of Luke. In the hill country on the western side of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus met a man who had some significant problems. These issues caused the man to be isolated from God, from his family, from friends – and even from himself.

Jesus had compassion on that man and healed him. When it came time for Jesus to leave the area, the unnamed man wanted to go with him. But Jesus had other plans for that individual. Jesus needed him to stay close to home and proclaim there what God had done for him.

I’ve been on numerous mission trips, both foreign and domestic, speaking and interacting for a short while with folks that I will likely see only once in my earthly existence. But it is critical that I be a witness for Jesus Christ with people close to home, who hear what I say and see what I do on a daily basis, week after week, month after month.