“Give me a hug”
“Why?”
“I just became a Christian!”
As soon as those words left Vickie’s
mouth I hugged her like a bear hugs it’s cub. Grinning, laughing, overjoyed. We
talked for a second and I celebrated with rapture the fact that she became a
child of God today, a beautiful daughter of the King. I walked into another
room. It took everything inside me to fight back tears of joy. I know I
shouldn’t fight them, but when you are leading a cleaning team, it’s hard to
weep in front of them. Yet, that’s a
subject for another day I suppose.
It’s been a long journey, a year ago
Vickie found her way into my heart. She came here with few words and her
boyfriend Paul. There are some people that are so raw. So unchurched, so fresh,
so unaffected by Christian “Culture.” Every moment is a funny adventure as
choice words slip out that I’m not allowed to say. The wisdom Paul gave me in
his worldly love was usually things I am too young to know. A year ago I was on
my knees praying for them. For some reason Jesus wouldn’t let my heart escape
from praying for them day after day. I loved them and as I met with Paul and
explained the bible, my heart softened and softened. It was tough to watch them
go. Only two months to tell them about Jesus. I had left in a sense saddened
but praying desperately to God, I wanted Paul and Vickie to know Jesus.
On the field it’s been strange. I’m
not always very good at delaying gratification. If I was I would have a lot
less problems and a lot less fat. I’m learning about investing. The farmer
plants before the harvest, the investor spends money before he earns it. The
truth is it’s been easy to be discouraged sometimes. Honestly, I am a foreigner
12,000 miles away from home. I’ve lost my grandfather, girlfriend, best friend,
and much more. I am illiterate. I am a child in so many ways without a native
speaker. Amidst that there was a time when I struggled very bad, I lost a lot
of my joy and filled with bitterness. I let my circumstances put a jackboot to
my throat and hold me down.
Today was another one of those moments
when I breathe in deeply. I feel the warmth returning to my flesh, I feel the
oxygen filling my lungs, I feel so alive in one moment that I am bursting
inside. I am shaking and joyful. Validation isn’t necessary for the Christian
life, yet in God’s great mercy He validated that this is all worth it. Those
prayers weren’t in vain. The fact is that seeing Vickie become a Christian is
like this immeasurable paycheck. It is a tangible mountain of wealth. It washes
over the sores and hurt inside that ask sometimes “Was it worth it? Should I be
here?”
It’s a beautiful day. It’s so worth it
to give up everything for even a little bit of the true life that Christ
offers. It's so wonderful to know my friendship with Vickie will still exist 50 million years from now.
Relient K - Hope for every fallen man
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