I’ve been learning so much lately that it’s hard to know where to start. But I guess a good place would be last Thursday.
God has been teaching me a lot lately about where my priorities and focus are at. He’s been challenging me to become more mature in my faith. I would pray for signs, miracles, and His power to show and would often come away disappointed and frustrated if He didn’t “come through.” But that’s not how we were created to live.
I’ve since learned that to become more fully mature in my faith, I need to trust in our past together. I’ve seen God move so many times and yet when He doesn’t, I get frustrated with Him. This mindset is not only selfish because it focuses only on me and my feelings, but it also is unhealthy because it can get to the point where I am worshipping the things God does rather than God Himself, the creation over the creator.
So, with this new mindset that I will trust God no matter what, I went to a local park to help with an outreach our ministry host has called Agua Panela. This is an outreach that goes out to homeless and addicts with bread and sugar water. We evangelize, pray, sing, and serve the people we come across.
I went into the evening this past Thursday with the mindset that no matter what, I was going to let God move, even if it meant I wouldn’t see any large miracles, power, etc. I was just going to be present and go with wherever God took me. On the way to the park though, I got a brief picture of a man standing alone in a circle of light like he was under a streetlamp. After this vision, I felt like I wasn’t supposed to walk around and evangelize. Instead, I was supposed to be still. I was confused but said “ok” and volunteered to stand and hand out the bread and water.
After about 30 minutes, I was starting to think the vision may have not been from God but decided that it was ok if it wasn’t. I was just going to keep serving as best I could, standing where I was. Then Angel approached me.
Angel is a young man from Venezuela who came to Colombia looking for work. He caught me off guard because as he approached, he spoke out in almost perfect English (which is not common at all, especially in that setting). He wasn’t there for the bread and water, and I’m honestly not sure why he approached us, but we started talking. We talked about life and what he was doing. We talked about why we were at the park and about the World Race. And eventually, we talked about faith.
He said that he didn’t go to church, but that he believed in his own religion which was about love. Off this, I was able to talk to him about religion, works, and God’s love. I was able to share my faith with him because we have that one thing in common which is love for people. I eventually invited him to a worship service the next night as well as services on Sunday and Wednesday.
Guys, God is so, so, so, good!
To finish, please keep Angel in your prayers. Pray that God would open his eyes and heart to His love and that Angel would find a place to plug in in this community and church. Pray that this would be one of many stories of people searching for answers and finding them in Christ.
I also want to challenge you to walk with me in this new mindset of trusting your past with God. Look back at all God has done for you and don’t be discouraged if He doesn’t act in the way you want or expect. Instead, choose to trust that God is still moving, even if you don’t see it.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” -Isaiah 55:8-9
God Bless!
-Ben
