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Hello all-

     Now I almost didn’t post this blog because of all the stuff
that happened today. I figured I would need some time to process and that I was
just going to be lazy and wait until next week to tell you. But why hide and
put off God’s glory?

     God has so many far reaching ways to meet us exactly where
we are. If we just open our eyes to them.

      Today I was sitting in central park, I was there because a
couple of friends from the team were meeting a man there who needed some help
and advice and had reached out to them. We were suppose to meet him at
12:30. Except, he did not show up.

      I love the fact that God can use a situation that seems
futile to start something incredible. While we were waiting for him the 3 other
people that I was with started talking to other people and sharing the news of
Jesus Christ with them. It was incredible how God put people there who could be
reached, and in most cases, reached out to us first. One example is Laura. She
was sitting and reading her bilingual bible while we were waiting. A man on a
bike came up to her and kind of stood behind her for a moment, and then he made
the first move in asking her about the Bible. The conversation ended with the
man reading the bilingual bible with the man on the bench next to him.

      Recently, I have been having a hard time dealing with the
question, “do I do enough.” People around me are always telling amazing stories
about how God opened up to them and lead them to a person, or how something
amazing happened in their lives. I do not know why I felt like this, God has
done incredible things in my life; it was just something that I was dealing
with today.

      So while sitting on the bench, I was looking around watching
the other 3 people who were with me going out and telling people about Jesus.
We were not “required” ministry, today was our day off, but they still found
such joy in going out and telling people around them about the Love that Christ
has for every single one of us.
 
     I started praying to God about having an opportunity for me,
I wanted to share in this joy also. I have felt the love of Christ and want to
share it with others. A few minutes later, a woman walked by and went and sat
down on the tree behind us. I started to get this little twinge that I was
supposed to go and talk to her. However, I don’t speak Spanish, I don’t know
the bible, and I didn’t know what to tell her. Those were all lies from the
devil.
 
     That impulse in me started to grow
stronger and stronger. Eventually, I was searching my bible for verses that I
thought might be helpful and writing them on my hand. I still wasn’t sure if
this is what God wanted me to do, and I thought this lady might be a
prostitute, would she even want to hear what I have to say? Then, as if almost
a whisper, I heard the lady say from behind me, “I am waiting for you.” I still
don’t even know if that lady said it or not, maybe it was just the Lord trying
to get me off that bench.
 
     After a while people were coming
over and talking to us in a group, I was still sitting on the bench while
others were talking, still having that debate in my head as to whether I should
go and talk to that lady sitting on the tree. I stood up to get into the circle
better. After standing I made eye contact with the lady and she asked me a
question. I couldn’t hear what the question was but I went over and started
talking to her. Alone.
 
     I think this was truly God dragging
me to this lady. I don’t go talking to random strange ladies who are speaking
to me in Spanish, but this woman I could not ignore.
 
     As soon as I got there, I met
Martha, and our conversation started. I do not even remember what we talked
about. But soon Martha was telling me about how her son had been murdered. It
felt like the more I listened, the more I concentrated on what she was saying,
the more I deeply cared for this woman, the more English she spoke. We had our
entire conversation about her son in English. I asked her if I could pray for
her and she said yes!

      I prayed
for Martha and we continued to talk, after a while a verse from the bible came
to mind and I quickly grabbed a bilingual bible. I looked it up and showed her
the verse. However, she said that she could not read it because she didn’t have
her glasses. I told her I would read it to her. I tried so hard to read to that
woman in Spanish. But I could not. At that moment little girl walked up and sat
down next to us. The woman asked her if she could read the bible to her and she
agreed. The little girl sat there and read the whole bible passage of Romans 5:
1-11.

      This
passage is about struggles and how the Lord uses struggles in our life to
create hope. It has been a verse that has always been in my mind as I go
through hard times. Romans 5:3-5 says, “but we also rejoice in our sufferings,
because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character;
and character hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out
his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

      I love that little girl. Our conversation continued, but
this time, it was entirely in Spanish. I know the Lord had a hand in that
conversation. Helping me to understand that parts that really mattered,
allowing me to relate and feel for this woman. I thank God for putting me
exactly where I needed to be, for guiding me and showing me what needed to be
said and where to do. I am thankful that the Lord does not give up easily.
After hearing it audibly that this woman was waiting for me I still did not
move. It was not until she looked up at me and asked me a question. Thank the
Lord that He is patient and gives grace. I invited Martha to church tomorrow
and I am excited to see what the Lord does in her life, I will continue to pray
for her and I hope you will too.