May 15, 2017
I woke up this morning at 6:30 to my alarm, and hit stop. I woke up again at 7:00 to my second alarm, and changed it to 7:15. I woke up a third time, and finally made the decision that I actually had to get up. I convinced myself I had to take a shower and put up with the water that felt extra cold. I put on my ‘I <3 ELIM CITY’ (the church we are working with here in Ghana) shirt and walked out of my room to see if breakfast had arrived. Since it hadn’t, I walked back to my room and got ready a bit more. After wandering the small room three of us share I walked back out to the hall and checked our outdoor dining room to see if breakfast was there this time. Yet again, no breakfast had arrived. So I moseyed back to the room once more, sat on the bed and opened my Bible. I read Exodus 9 where God tells Moses to go to Pharaoh and perform the signs He has given him. He does, the plagues continue, and once again the Lord hardens Pharaohs heart. This morning I felt like Pharaoh. I didn’t want to go anywhere today. I am tired. Part of me wants to go home. The other part of me wants to push through. I want more of God and His Word, and yet I want to watch a movie and not move from my bed all day. Anything but go out and evangelize with 50 people in the same community, because I have nothing left to give. This morning I was done.
Word came that breakfast had arrived. I walked outside, ate my egg sandwich, and meandered once again back to the room. I opened my Bible to the New Testament this time, to the beginning of Hebrews. I read about Jesus and his superiority to the angels. I read chapter 2, verse 18,
“For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
And chapter 3, verses 7-9, 12-16
“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years… Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’ For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses?…”
And Chapter 4, verses 7-13
“again he appoints a certain day, ‘today,’ saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts,’ For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
If you skipped or skimmed those verses go back and read them. Because this day would not have continued the way it did without those words.
So, with those words I scooted off my bed, put on my shoes, and went outside to wait for the vans. I was tired but knew today I had to show up. My dear friend took the time to ask and listen about my morning. I told her staying back and reading the Word was a good thing, but God would be faithful to provide what I need to go out.
I was being tempted to stay behind and find rest. But Jesus was also tempted, and was able to help me through that. I was hearing the voice of God telling me to go evangelize and I knew I couldn’t harden my heart to that. So, Kristen prayed over me a beautiful and encouraging prayer as people filled the vans. I got in and sat on the floor between a seat and the window. The van stalled a good 10 times as we made our way to the evangelism site and I prayed this meant we couldn’t go or at least had more time at the guest house. But the van kept going. I didn’t join in on conversations I just sat and listened. I allowed myself to be exactly where I was. I didn’t force myself into conversations, I didn’t force myself to see the beauty outside, I didn’t force a smile on my face. The van stopped and we jumped out. I sat against a wall in the blazing sun. Still tired. Still not wanting to be there. But all I could do was muster a prayer.
“I have nothing to say or give, I don’t even want to be here, so God it is all up to you.”
I made up my mind that I would not be saying anything; I would just be tagging along today. My team prayed, and as we walked I leaned my elbow on Melanie’s shoulder as we drifted to the back of the group. The two of us were stopped by a man in a taxi as everyone else continued on. The man was obsessed with money. We told him of God’s love for him and that money was not what he needed. We walked away saying we would pray for him and his prayer back was for me to marry him. We bumped into an adorable old man that smiled and said goodbye just after we introduced ourselves. Next we walked past a small shop and a man on his phone sitting on a stool. We stopped, I asked Melanie where she thought the Lord was leading us and then mentioned the guy behind us. She leaped into action at those words. We introduced ourselves, asked Michael a few questions and found out his idea of Christianity was based on good works. I shared the Gospel of the love of Jesus with him as our local friend and pastor, Eben, from Elim City came up. He continued sharing with Michael in their language and in English. Eben is such an amazing man of God and has such a heart for evangelism. We invited Michael to church and a service in their community happening the next day. I left him with high spirits knowing God was working. We continued on to meet Eric. A younger man with such a light about him, God is going to shine through him. Melanie and I prayed over Eric and invited him to the service as well. Continuing across the street Eben began yelling in his language toward this man up ahead. Evangelists in Africa do this, I’ve noticed. It seems to me that they are greeting old friends only to find out they’ve never met this person before. Again, we introduced ourselves and bounced off one another’s thoughts as we shared the love of Jesus with a man named Tojah. Tojah at this time was working, washing a truck. So, naturally, Eben takes over washing the tires so that Tojah can fully listen to Melanie and I. Then I took over washing tires so Eben could translate to their native language; this was so Tojah could understand more fully. We talked with him for a good hour before Melanie led him in a prayer to accept Christ. It was a beautiful moment hugging Tojah and welcoming him into the family of God. God is so good. Eben then spoke the desires of my heart by telling Tojah he wanted to pastor him individually, to disciple him. They exchanged numbers, and we excitingly told him we would see him tomorrow. That was not the last time I will see him. As we continued on our journey with the Spirit, Eben told us his mother had called him yesterday because their neighbor, a Muslim man, was sick and wanted prayer. We all decided taking the time to do that was important. I said, “the Spirit is not bound by time so neither are we.” We got a van and off we went. We arrived to a man named Yesu lying on a foam pad in a kind of porch. About a year ago he had had a stroke. His brain and speech was affected, and he was no longer able to walk. So we did what we’ve done all day, shared the Gospel with him. We explained why Jesus had to be fully man and fully God, and Eben continued in his passion of sharing the Word of God with Muslims. Melanie and I for a while just sat and interceded for Yesu, praying on his behalf. Then we laid hands on him and called out to God for healing- physically and for healing of the heart. It was such a powerful time in the Spirit. Eben told Yesu to begin exercising his muscles and that we would be back to visit at his request. I didn’t see Yesu walk but I knew the healing process begun and with confidence believe the next time I see him he would in fact be walking.
That visit ended our morning of evangelism. And all of that to say,
I did absolutely nothing.
Like I said before, I didn’t even want to be there. I had nothing to give or say.
But God did.
God spoke through me that day. He knew what those people needed, and he loves them enough to use a girl at her end to reach them. God is good and he is love, and that’s all I’m trying to say through this blog.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 “But he said to me, ’My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Hebrews 4:14-16 “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast out confessions. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
