What’s in a name? Where the world did ‘sojourner4jesus’ come from?

The honest truth is one afternoon last year, a friend told me I just HAD to get a Twitter.

But I have this thing about random names. If it means nothing, it’s silly. I could technically use my real name like everyone else, but thought I might like my Twitter name to mean something. The sojourner part came about when I looked up synonyms for traveler. Then it became my absolute choice when I came across it in the Bible as the strangers in an unknown land. Technically, it talks about providing for the sojourners with food…jobs…acceptance…making them equal among them. And in Bible times, that was kinda a big deal if you were of the same ethnic background.

“You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 23:9)

“You and the sojourner shall be alike before the Lord.” (Numbers 15:15)

However recently I’ve looked into it more, and find that sojourners normally get grouped with the poor, widow and orphan…which I am finding very cool because that is very much a part of my call to mission.

“He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.” (Deuteronomy 10:18)

Pretty interesting stuff for just a Twitter name, right? Well, a Twitter name that turned into a blog name…

Here’s the gist…I am a traveler for Jesus. It was the call he put on my life very quickly after I chose to follow him. So quickly in fact, that a Christian family member told me, ‘You’ll get over it soon enough, all new believers think they are called to Africa.’ I think it says a lot that God created me stubborn and independent for a reason when you hear the things people have said to me over the years. And no, actually, I’ve known a LOT of new believers, and they don’t all feel called to Africa. But when I say traveler…it is a traveler to anywhere, really…to the neighborhood, my state, my country…and to the ends of the earth.

But I am also just a sojourner in this world. Eager for God’s Kingdom to come to earth. Expectant for there to be no more pain, tears, disease, war, racism, hate…anxious for everything in this world that makes me long for my true home to be restored  and renewed to beauty, laughter, friendship, peace…

Have a great weekend!

//Stephanie//