Happy St. Patrick's Day!

As a kid, St. Patrick's Day was just a day to wear green and color leprechaun's and enjoy chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil while imagining a big pot of gold at the bottom of a rainbow somewhere in Ireland. Oh, and a man who drove snakes from the same country.

Last fall, I read a 30 Day Journal/Devotional called The Live Dead Journal. It changed my life and as a youth group, we are reading it now.

One of the days that touched my heart the most was about the three martyrdoms:red, green and white. The devotion was written by a missionary and was preface by John 12:24(NLT),

²⁴ I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.

The red martyrdom is, as I am sure you can tell, a total sacrifice of life for the sake of Jesus. 

The white martyrdom is the sacrifice to go...to go anywhere the Lord may call you to be a witness in the unreached areas of the world.

Then there is the green martyrdom...Around 350 AD, a young Romanized English boy was stolen from his country. Irish pirates smuggled him into Ireland and made him a slave. Year later, Patrick escaped and through a process of time, returned to Ireland as a missionary. Some believe at this time he would have been in his early 70's! He gave the rest of his life to evangelize the Irish, understanding and loving them like no other.

By the time Patrick died, much of Ireland was Christian. Patrick and his team did such an exceptional job of preaching the gospel that Christians were sad they couldn't die for Jesus anymore! There were so many Christians that red martyrdom was not an issue. 

The story goes on from there. His legacy led to innovative methods that brought revival to the country. 

St. Patrick's Day is so much more than wearing green, kissing the Blarney Stone, having a drink or marching in a parade. This day is a rich day for the Christian world!