Come My Way, Pt. ii/iii

I stepped forward resolutely. Immediately, my knees gave out and I fell flat on my face. The crowd began passing me by and I started to panic. He would leave without me even getting a chance to see Him, much less touch Him! I struggled to my feet, hands outstretched to catch myself. But I didn’t fall this time.

One faltering step after another; at first timid, but then growing stronger as blood reached my legs. Now I was in the crowd. I was looking around me frantically to try and see the one called Jesus, wondering how I would even find Him. I remembered the words spoken by the prophet Isaiah: He would be ordinary and have nothing comely about Him. Well, that wasn’t much to go on, but it was more than I had before.

Suddenly, to my right, I saw the crowd part a little bit to a plain man. Chills ran down my spine. I couldn’t move. I could only stare at His face. The crowd faded until it disappeared entirely: its pushing, shoving, shouting. There was just Him and I. I scarcely dared breathe. Then, His eyes, ever roving the crowd, came to a rest upon me for one brief moment. In that moment, I realized I had to get to Him. He would heal me, if only He would come my way.

I launched myself forward through the crowd, trying to come to a place where our paths would intersect. I was taking a big gamble. If He changed direction and turned down a side street, it would be over. My chance would be gone. I didn’t know how I would bear that. Thankfully I was small, so it was easier to weave my way between people.

Soon, I came to a small opening in the crowd—a narrow pathway stretching the length of the street. At the end was Jesus, making His way down the road. He seemed so far off. There were so many side roads He could take. But He stuck to the straight and narrow pathway through the crowd.