Another day of door to door ministry.
We have been at it for 2 weeks now, and this week the houses we are visiting is far away and the African sun is so hot beating down on us as we walk door to door.
Its only 9 am and we still have at least 3 more hours ahead of us. I'm tired and just not feeling it today. I swear, sometimes I am so selfish and over dramatic.
Every person we go to I feel like I share the exact same thing. I know they don't know this, but for me and the translator I feel so redundant.
We approach a lady in her yard doing laundry while several kids are washing up the morning dishes. When we walk up to her under the shade tree I am actually dreading having to talk to her. I think, "here we go again, I will tell her the same story I've told everyone else of how I came to know Jesus". Wow… I can't even believe I'm typing this. It sounds terrible, but it was what I was feeling just the same. Even though I know the power of the gospel and the way the Lord has changed my life with it, my words today feel empty and dead.
But here we are… no turning back. So, once again I begin the story of how I came to know Jesus so many years ago. I share with her the gospel and what it means in our life. I tell her how much Jesus loves her and how he gave His life as a sacrifice for her sins. How there is nothing we can do to earn God's favor and grace, that He gives it to us freely through the sacrifice of His Son, if we'll just accept it.
I came there feeling like she's heard it all before and today will be no different, but I was wrong. Today was different. Today was the day of salvation for her. She heard something in my simple story of finding Jesus and what He offers us.
I went there with a poor attitude, but the Lord worked anyway. He didn't need me. He had already appointed this hour for her to hear and accept the Gospel and even with my poor attitude and selfishness I couldn't change that. I am so thankful that the Lord chooses to use us, but at the same time that its not up to us.
