I wrote this on my blog this afternoon and wanted to share it with you. I love how the Lord keeps moving in and through the students and myself and we see more breakthrough and freedom. So here it is. I only had one photo so enjoy the short story 🙂 Let me know if you have any thoughts!!
So I wrote three paragraphs and then decided to erase it and start over. I didn’t want to share this from a place of sounding boastful, but from a place of encouragement. As believers in Jesus, we have been given the mandate to share the gospel wherever we go-more specifically to all nations (including my own). I think even for those who have walked with the Lord for years, this can seem nerve wracking or at least a bit scary. Or maybe that is just with me.
Part of our local outreach opportunities during the quarter is to go around the local community engaging in conversation with people, praying for them, and when given the opening, sharing the gospel. Seems simple, but up until this point, I have been one big ball of nerves. I chalked it up to fear of man and fear of rejection, which is wrapped in fear of man. Lord has been breaking that off of me over the last couple of weeks and I had a desire to see it enter the local outreach realm.
Last night Ben, Annaliesa, and I walked down our street really feeling we were to just ask people for prayer. I felt like the Lord wanted us to head toward a shopping area that has a courtyard and more specifically to a bench there. On our way we noticed that we kept passing men that were sitting on their own, but we continued on to the shopping area and I anticipated someone was going to be there that we could pray with.
We arrived at the bench and….nobody was there. Actually the whole courtyard was pretty empty. So we stood for a moment and Ben said, I feel like we should go and chat with some of the guys that we passed. So we did and it was very very cool.
The first one we passed was really close to that courtyard and we noticed him as we passed the first time. We unanimously decided that the two ladies were gonna walk down a bit and pray while Ben stopped to chat. Right as we passed by, we said hello and he completely made an opening for conversation. So we quickly changed tactics and for the next hour we sat beside him and just let him speak as we listened and quietly prayed.
He was in a place of deep hurt on top of deep wounds and angry at life and people and himself. Walking in deep mistrust of people and probably of God. We weren’t there to sell him a packaged deal, we were there to listen and if wanted to pray with him. Within the conversation he let us share what we believed love to be. I loved how both Annaliesa and Ben responded. That the highest form of love is a love that loves without expectation of receiving anything in return. It’s a love that even in our messiest parts, our fallen parts, our worn out parts, Love still died for us.
As we listened we didn’t have to strive for words or questions. We didn’t have to fill awkward silences. We didn’t have to push in for some theological answers. They were there when needed. Words came easily and the words were so simple and full of depth and love. Holy Spirit was there and such a helper. He didn’t say the salvation prayer nor did he come out of his depression and I feel that was not the point. What we felt God was saying that he was seen, he was pursued by the Father, that the Father understands and sees the pain and is so near to him. He also let us pray with him before we had to leave and meet the rest of the group.
I love that I had a chance to experience this with Annaliesa and Ben. That they stepped out in faith and obedience and shared their heart with someone. We hope we get to meet him again and we continue to pray for more revelation of God’s love for him. Please be in prayer with us. Last night was a cool night!!!
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