Okay, so I wanted to blog about another vision God took me through but I have to put that off, because this story is just a little ironic, in a good awesome, only God could arrange that, sort of way.
So, I will start off from the beginning which was last week. I was praying often last week and the Lord was taking me through a lot. He was giving me lots of visions and just showing me how trustworthy He really is.
The next day I was praying about what He wanted my ministry to be here. I just didn't feel a connection with the girls. I felt very empathetic for what they were going through, but I mainly felt that I was supposed to be praying empathetically for them, if that makes sense. I felt God calling me to be an intercessor rather than out in the bars.
Okay, so the next day I was doing my morning run and ran past a guy. The 2nd time I ran past him, he stopped me and told me about a running group and asked if I wanted to join. My heart fluttered and I said yes, probably. I prayed about it and felt I should go. I invited my team leader, Allyson, and she came with.
When we got there it is a running group based around drinking and lots of sexual and crude jokes. It was pretty much a frat party where they "hazed" us, but it wasn't quite like frat hazing.
(some of our terrain and our feet after)
After running a scavengerhunt-like 5k through mud and rice fields, we had to sit on an ice block (cold for the butt) while they drank beer and we drank water. They called us "virgins" "missionaries" and "religious (something- can't remember)" We were a bit uncomfortable but were constant in prayer while there.
(Allyson and I sitting on the ice blocks)
Honestly, the words they said went in one ear and out the other. The Lord just reminded us our worth comes from Him who speaks the truth not some other people that don't yet know the Truth. I was confident the Lord had asked me to go, but so confused as to why.
They invited us to come back and I prayed about it again. I felt confidently He told me to go back. Crazy, I know. I literally had been praying for adventure though and the Lord reminded me not to seek adventure from people but from Him and He would give it to me. He did.
Also, during this past week He took me through a lot of my past and showed me where He was in the midst of it. He proved His trustworthiness once again. He told me to read the New Testament in preparation before going back to the running group (which is a lot but I was confident that's what I heard so I did my best despite others doubting what He told me.) I actually almost made it.
Anyways, so Saturday was the day to go back to the running group. When we got there they were all surprised to see us but excited at the same time. They were very welcoming but sure to let us know they doubted we would ever be back at such a crude event. (I did too, ha)
While praying, I asked the Lord to show me how it was even Biblical to go back to such a thing. I wanted to be sure it was Him I was hearing from. He took me to the Lazarus story in John 11 and how Jesus went back into Judea knowing that He was about to get killed. He showed me how that related to us knowing we were about to get made fun of, just to open up someone's spiritual eyes.
(the terrain this week)
This week they actually took it easy on us. I had been praying and asking God to prepare me to answer Biblically to whatever questions they asked. They didn't ask. I had also prayed that I wouldn't open my mouth unless the Holy Spirit prompted me to. He never did, so I never opened up. Then…. HERE IS THE COOL PART…. As everyone was leaving, this guy came up to us and started asking questions.
He smoothly asked by using reverse psychology if we agreed with the war. He said "don't you think it is good the Christians are bombing the Muslims, etc" after he finished his point, I felt prompted so I said "No, I don't think that is Biblical. Jesus gives us the commandment to love one another as He has loved us, so we must love one another." (John 13:34) He was surprised when I answered that way and told me he was pretty much wanting me to say I agreed because he thinks that religion causes violence.
We talked for a bit more and he asked if we wanted to go to the restaurant with a lot of the runners and finish our conversation there. Despite the lack of money we had on us ($7), we said yes. Through a series of events that we prayed for, we got to sit with him at a table. It was just Allyson, him and I, so that was awesome to be able to have a one on one convo with him. We talked for a couple of hours about beliefs.
He is an athetist. He believes that we have an inner spirit that we can activate. He believes we are aliens and there is something else out there, but it isn't God. DNA seems to be his god and he also seemed to have lots of past hurt in his life. I was able to share my tunnel story with him and he thinks I am a special breed of alien that knows how to activate a part in my brain that not many people can activate. Anyways, I told him I believe that is the Holy Spirit. I also told him about the healing that took place and same answer, he believes I activated a self-healing part of the brain than many people never get access to.
We asked him if he had ever called out to God. He said yes and God never came. It broke my heart. I cried after we left each other because I wanted so badly for him to see the truth.
At the restraunt, when we finish eating, John pays for our meal despite us trying to pay. We did't tell him we didn't have enough money for a taxi home but we prayed. He knew we were praying and asked "What are you praying to your God about? To provide money for you to get home?" We said "yes" because the taxi was $10 and we didn't have that on us.
He said just to prove your God doesn't exist I am going to pay for your taxi. Anyways, a little spiritual irony there. God provided through a man who didn't believe in Him and was trying to prove He didn't exist but ended up proving He did, and letting us see Him fullfilling His name Jehovah Jireh (My provider). To God be the glory. God uses everything to bring Him glory.
After John provided the money needed, I asked God why He used John and He reminded me that Satan crucified Jesus thinking He was killing God, but through that we received our salvation just as this man believed he was proving God wasn't real but actually proved that God is exactly who we say He is. He is our provider, our Jehovah Jireh.
So, y'all, please pray for John!! I am confident I will see that man in heaven. I am confident God is going to open up his eyes to see how He used him. Anyways, I am confident that man was exactly why God called me back to the running group. God is good and works in crazy ways!
Okay, so let me back it up a bit as to why we had such little money on us. Right before we left to go to the running group, I asked the Lord to send me to a verse. He sent me to Luke 9 about not taking clothes, money etc with us. He would provide. At this running club they make you buy t-shirts. If you don't have a t-shirt they call you "naked" and make you sit on the ice block while someone bashes you. The t-shirts were crude, so we were contimplating buying one. We prayed and heard no. I asked God again to take me to Scripture and He took me to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He reminded me of how they refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar and they got thrown in the fire, but God saved them and everyone glorified Him at the end of the day. He showed me that just as if we refused to get a t-shirt we may get thrown on the ice block and in fire (made fun of) but that He would save us and He would be glorified. Needless to say, we had money with us and prayed for a way out. We didn't want to lie and tell them we didn't have the money to buy a shirt, but we didn't want to buy one either. About 2 minutes laters we ran into Jen on the street and were able to give her our extra money so we didn't have enough on us if they wanted us to buy a shirt. He answered our prayer, as always. We still took a little bit of money but only 200 baht (about $7) for Allyson and I. You're right maybe I shouldn't have.
