All Saints’ Day

What image pops into your mind when you hear the word ‘saint’? A person whose life had religious significance, perhaps. Or maybe a person whose acts contributed so greatly to the world we now know that they have been immortalized in history books. You may even think of someone you know who spends their career in service of others – first responders, medical personnel, those who serve in the armed forces. On this All Saints’ Day I’m going to challenge you to see the saint standing right in front of you. Do you see them? If not, look in your mirror. Yes, you are a saint! 

This is one of those truths I struggle to believe. I try to be a good person, but I have never done anything of the magnitude that I attribute to sainthood. I sometimes struggle to stay focused on the message during church, I get angry and frustrated over minor things and when I do take time to pray, I often struggle to find the words. If you can relate, take heart in these words from Romans 8: 27

“Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

Saints are simply those who follow Christ and trust in Him for salvation.  We don’t need to always have the perfect words for our prayers or commit heroic deeds. We just need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ and be His disciples. Now, taking up the cross and following Him doesn’t guarantee that the road won’t be rough, but it does indeed make you a saint. 

Instead of a typical prayer, I’ll close with the words from the final verse of I Sing a Song of the Saints of God, #730 in our Glory to God hymnal.

“They lived not only in ages past; there are hundreds of thousands still. The world is bright with the joyous saints who love to do Jesus’ will. You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea, in church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea. For the saints of God are just folk like me, and I mean to be one too.”

Amen!

Brenda Windischman