The pastor agreed to take us back to Mary’s house once more to see if she was still pain-free and ready to abandon other gods. As we pulled up to her house in the van, we saw her walking down the road with groceries in her hand. She had a huge smile on her face and told me that it was the first day she was able to go for a walk in many years. I could tell that she felt like a good mother and wife because she was able to go shopping for food and care for her family the way she wanted.
We all sat down in the living room and before we could ask her any questions, she immediately began telling us that she was still pain-free and that Jesus had truly healed her. She told us how free she felt, being able to leave her home. She also told us that she had been having dreams ever since we left, which is something we had been praying for.
In her dreams, she was presented with the question of if she was going to follow Jesus alone, or follow the other gods as well. When I heard this, I was so thankful that Jesus was presenting her with the question she needs to answer more than any other. And then she told us that she still wanted to follow the other gods, along with Jesus…
I learned a lot during my last visit at Mary’s house. I learned that there is a huge fear of man in that area. Every month, pastor brings families a bag of rice when he comes to visit. I learned that Mary had every single bag of rice ever given her sitting in her bedroom. She told us that the neighbors had told her that if she ate the rice, she would be brainwashed into becoming a Christian. I knew that she really believed in Jesus, but that the people around her were keeping her from casting the Hindu gods away and following Jesus alone. Mary doesn’t fear the Hindu gods, Mary fears man.
Even though Mary was still unwilling to have no other gods before Jesus, I saw that the miracle was not in vain. God pursued Mary. God healed Mary. And God is still waiting on Mary to chose Him. In fact, God has been asking her where she is going to put her faith while she had been sleeping. And even though the fear of man has made her decide that she still wants the other gods today, tomorrow she could change her mind. And because she has free will to change her mind, I am confident that Jesus will keep pursuing her.
I told her that I was going to be praying that Jesus would come to her in her dreams, and this time, He was going to tell her that HE is the only One and the only Way. The beauty of God’s love is that it is never forced. He heals His people, and STILL gives them a choice of who they want to follow. He doesn’t want us to love Him out of obligation, but out of desire. And when we refuse Him once, He doesn’t walk the other way, He reveals Himself again. That way, on judgement day, no one is with excuse.
Mary will see Jesus over the next few days… And Mary will have a choice to make. And no matter the fear that keeps her from accepting Jesus, He will keep pursuing her… I LOVE MY DADDY. Writing this reminds me of just how wonderful He is… There’s really no one like Him.
Pics from the month:
