A Faithful Witness

I'm sure that at least once in your life you played a game or filled out a form or engaged in a conversation where you got asked the question, "If you could meet any character from history (aside from Jesus), who would it be?" I've been asked several times. I never was sure what to answer. I could think of a lot of heroic people, but none stood out as my particular favorite.

But last night I found someone who stands out. Her name is Blandina, and she lived in the first century a.d.

"Blandina,...one of the noble martyrs, dreaded that she would not be able to witness a good confession, because of the weakness of her body;--[but] Blandina was endued with so much fortitude, that those who successively tortured her from morning to night were quite worn out with fatigue, owned themselves conquered and exhausted of their whole apparatus of tortures, and were amazed to see her still breathing whilst her body was torn and laid open.

The blessed woman recovered fresh vigor in the act of confession, and it was evident annihilation of all her pains, to say--'I am a Christian, and no evil is committed among us.'

...Weak and contemptible as she might be deemed, yet when clothed with Christ, the mighty and invincible champion, she became victorious over the enemy in a variety of encounters, and was crowned with immortality."

-Foxe's Book of Martyrs, from pages 26,27,28, emphasis mine

This woman saw her children tortured and killed before her eyes. Blandina herself endured horrific tortures such as being torn by wild beasts and roasted in an iron chair. She thought she was too weak to face the things she faced...and she was right. But she claimed Christ as her champion. This is the same strong and mighty Champion I know and love, and who helped me conquer just today when I was weak, tired, and afraid. I'm amazed that, while my struggle is nothing compared to hers, our Champion is the same! So I can look at her witness and know that, just like her, I will overcome through weakness. I would love to meet her face to face, and I think that someday I will, when my race is finished.