Passion stuck in stone

Totally sold out for Jesus... thats an easy way to describel St. Francis of Assisi. He was a man who suffered greatly for God. He devoted his life to picking up his cross and following Jesus. Its a wonderful story. . . But what does that look like? Now a days it seems to be that you can most easily find St. Francis in the form of a bird bath. Is that how we are to remember our late brother?
A man who was born into a rich family and joined the army. He traveled into battle and was captured. Held prisoner for a year and then went home. With a fever. After being a POW and fearing for his life because of a fever he was finally home. But he was different... broken. He began to realize how fragile our life is.

Psalm 39:11

You rebuke and discipline men for their sin; you consume their wealth like a moth- each man is but a breath. Selah 12 "Hear my prayer, O LORD, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping. For I dwell with you as an alien, a stranger, as all my fathers were. 13 Look away from me, that I may rejoice again before I depart and am no more."

He began to intently seek God. In fact he became so connected and intune with God that he saw his calling in dreams. St. Francis began to "rebuild the church" as God called him to do. He physically went and renovated and abandoned church. This brought people in and they began to care for the poor sick and needy.

This infureated his father. No son of his would wast away his inheritance in such a way. So he dragged his son back home and locked him in a closet. Set free by his mother he went back to doing work for God. His father found him and publicly accused him of stealing from him. So Francis took all that he had. even the cloths off his back. and gave them to his father stating that his true father is in Heaven. (God).

For the rest of his life St. Francis lived with the poor in huts and preached the Gosple. He traveled very far and often found himself hungry, hurt, shipwrecked, with no one but Jesus to rely on.

He Not only spread the good news. He lived it. Now thats passion. Infact. He desired to be like christ so badly that stigmata ( the marks of the crucified) miraculously appeared on his body. Now thats being totally sold out for Jesus! To live a life of humble servitude for Christ.

My prayer is that we can all find the passion to fuel our gifts. That we can have the courage to be the "black sheep" and do whatever it takes to fill our peice of the puzzle. But above all. I pray that whatever hardships are placed before us, we may proceed with the peace of mind and strength that Christ is on our side. That He died a horrible death for your sins. And that without Him, all we are to everyone else on earht is just a dash on a grave stone or a bird bath. But through Him we have eternal life in heaven.

What ever it takes. Whatever it looks like. Let it be all for Him.

For a more complete story on St. Francis of Assisi
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06221a.htm