I saw a miracle today.
It was in the form of a beautiful muslim woman named Fetija. We had worship on the beach this morning, listening to the waves crash onto the shore, as we sang to the majestic one who created such beauty. She was sitting about ten feet away from us, just watching the water.
I went with Rebecca to the store and came back to see Robin talking with her, neither really understanding what the other person was saying. She smiled a lot, and Robin, of course, smiled a lot because that’s just who she is. Robin tried to tell her our names, and, for some reason, mine stuck with her. “Hannah” as she pointed to the sky. “Anna,” I said. She then pointed to me, and then to her heart. After a little while, she left us and returned to her spot and gazed at the ocean.
After lunch, she got Robin’s attention and called her over there. Then she called me, and Caroline, and then the others. As we sat down, Caroline asked her if she knew about Jesus. She smiled and nodded, the look on her face evident that she had no idea what we were talking about. Caroline began to speak life over her, and then Bukurija, the wonderful woman that opened her home to us, came up. She said she was at home and the holy spirit told her to “Go now to the beach.” She began interpreting for this woman, as Caroline told her the gospel.
She is a follower of Allah, she told us. She goes to the Mosque sometimes, and she is glad that we will all be together in paradise. Caroline explained to her that Jesus said “He is the way, the truth and the life and He is the only way to God in Heaven.” We talked for some time. I asked her, “Who is Jesus to you?” She then told us that she has no running water in her home, so she can’t bathe. I was confused. What does that have to do with anything?
Then it clicked.
Islam is a religion of works. You earn your salvation by adhering to the five pillars of Islam, and that doesn’t even guarantee your salvation. One of the five pillars is that you must pray at five set times a day to Allah. Before you can pray, you must wash yourself and be clean, or you are a disgrace in his sight. I told her that God loves her, no matter if she is clean or not. When Jesus died for her, he cleansed her forever. She said that we are better off believing this than what the Muslims believe.
I wondered what it was like to believe as the muslims do. On the Day of Judgement, they believe that Allah has a scale, and if your good works outnumber the bad, then you most likely will go to paradise. The only assurance into heaven is through dying as a martyr in a holy war. I know that every day I fall short of being a good person, and every day I am grateful that, because of Jesus, God doesn’t see my sin, He sees me. He sees the apple of his eye, and adores me. I thought of all of those treasured times that I’ve had with Him speaking his love over me, or laughing at my dumb jokes. I’ve thought of just the joy He brings to my heart because He is perfection and yet pursues me. What is it like to pray to a god that is quick to judge your wrongs, and keeps a score sheet of your life?
Caroline told her that we want her to believe it for herself, because God loves her. She said she wanted it. She wanted to know God. We gave her a new testament and prayed for restoration of her eyes so she could read it better. I left soon after to walk sick Rebecca back to the home, but before I left, I asked Bukurija to tell her that I loved her. I meant it with all of my heart.
I don’t know if her sight was restored through our prayers. It’d be nice if it was, but the real miracle, always, is salvation. Her eyes are now opened to the reality of a God who loves her and died for her so she can live eternally in his love. How good He is.
We spent last night praying for revival to come to this city and this country. Caroline spoke to us today about the pivotal point that turns petitioning prayer into declarative prayer. When do we go from asking “Will you, God?” to thanking him and declaring “You are doing it, God.” ?
Today is the pivotal point.
Salvation has come to this place.
Thank you God because you are saving Montenegro.
