Hebrews 12:1 “As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses around us. So then… let us run with determination the race that lies before us.”
A Crowd of Witnesses
The crowd of witnesses is a roll call of the great people of faith in Israel’s history: from Abraham and Sarah to Moses; from David to unnamed martyrs [Hebrews 11]. With these examples, the author urges us to run with determination our own races.
A contemporary list might include Martin Luther and Roger Williams; Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mother Teresa. But let’s take our list closer to home by considering the people in our lives who have witnessed to the power of faith.
Jerry Schroeder
I would start my list with my grandfather Jerry Schroeder. His grandparents emigrated to the U.S. from Germany. Jerry supported his family as his grandfather and his father had–as a funeral director (mortician, undertaker). By any name, a difficult job. But Jerry was a strong Christian, so he offered pastoral care as he led funeral service after funeral service.
When he was in his mid-fifties, this independent, hard-headed German went totally blind. After a series of excruciating surgeries, Jerry was left to live 34 years in total darkness. My mother told me his blindness left him so depressed the family was afraid he would commit suicide.
Witness to Faith
I was two when Granddaddy Schroeder lost his sight, so I don’t remember his crisis of faith. Instead I remember him on his knees every morning praying, the muscles in his back knotted with the effort Jacob needed to struggle until he received a blessing. Granddaddy didn’t talk about his blindness until the end of his life. Then he told me every night when he dreamed he could see. So every morning when he opened his eyes, he faced the shock of blindness. He got down on his knees and stayed there until God gave him the strength to face that day.
I’m not blind, but I’ve faced my own trials. Over the years when I didn’t know how to face the next day, I’ve remembered Granddaddy Schroeder and gotten down on my knees.
Your Turn
Who in your life witnessed to the power of faith?
A passionate reader, I began writing as a young girl. After graduating from college, I became a teacher. Over the course of my career, I taught high schoolers, college undergraduates, and public school teachers how to write personal narratives, expository and persuasive essays, as well as poetry and short fiction. I continued to write: publishing professional articles, two textbooks, short stories, and poetry. In 2013, I won first place in Romantic Suspense in the ACFW Genesis Contest.
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