I am a Disciple John 8:31-32 by Susan L.

  For anyone new to the blog, beginning in March, I began a journey to delve into a list of  affirmations. They were given to me as homework following an inner healing retreat. Originally, I was to read ten a day to my reflection in the mirror as part of the healing process. It's like dressing a wound until it heals. Reading the list out loud with a lack of understanding felt like there was something missing. Taking the time to look up ten verses was terribly overwhelming although it makes me smile to realize some mornings writing the blog probably takes a whole lot longer! I decided one a day would be manageable and to take an entire year to work through the list. So here we are, seventy-nine posts later with two hundred and twenty-one to go. I am so excited to see what comes!

  "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed in Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." NKJ
  "Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, "You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to My teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." JCB

  I have to wonder if Jesus chose the original twelve disciples so everyone would find a way of connecting to them and to Him. Time and again Jesus redeemed them just as He is the Redeemer now, in this very moment.
  Judas betrayed Him. It always makes me sad that he didn't come to know the Lord's grace and forgiveness.
  Peter...out-of-the-boat-water-walking Peter...denied he knew Him three times.
  Mathew was a tax collector, the most corrupt and hated people of their time.
  Thomas doubted the resurrection until he placed his fingers into the wound left by the spear.
  There was one who resorted to violence in trying to stop his Lord's arrest.
  I am not too familiar with the other human traits of the remaining disciples but surely they had their flaws. Every single recorded flaw is an opportunity to learn about how high, how broad and how deep the love of God flows.
  Jesus called the twelve His apostles. An apostle is "one who is sent out." (Thanks, Google!) He spent three years with them, preparing them to take His Message to the world.
  A disciple is a follower, a student. Jesus' practice of teaching everyone regardless of where they came from or what their gender was rocked the world. Mary, Martha's sister, was blessed for getting out of the kitchen and sitting at Jesus' feet to learn more of His ways. Martha understood the truth of what He was doing and was later blessed when she went to Him after her brother had died. Jewish traditions about mourning couldn't hold her back from pursuing her Lord and asking Him for a miracle.

  Fairy gardens are all the rage right now. I love little things so I made one for the yard. In looking at it this morning, I realized I'd built ladders to allow the "fairies" to get from level to level. Silly me, fairies have wings!
  Being a disciple is like using a ladder of knowledge and understanding to reach for truth and to allow that truth to grow us into the best we can be. Bible studies, community, and relationships with fellow believers are all part of the process like the securely fastened steps on the ladder. The best part? The love of Jesus gives us wings so we can become far more than we ever thought possible.