Malaysia and the month of December were full of challenges for me but also completely consumed with the Lord through Christmas programs, Christmas caroling, finding hosts in a new part of the country, and even through homesickness. Probably the coolest thing that happened all month though happened the very last day in the country.
It was our very last day in Malaysia, and we were spending it in the capital of Kuala Lumpur before we flew out the next day. We had some loose plans for the day but were mainly just hanging out and enjoying the city for the day. Part of our plans were to go to dinner for a friend’s birthday, but before our reservations, we headed over to a mall. This mall and the dinner place happened to be in the exact area where I was last time I was in KL, so it was very nostalgic for me and brought back all sorts of memories of my team, what we did that month, and how the Lord had showed up in my time in Malaysia.
We were at the mall, and it was time to head over to dinner. We thought about grabbing a taxi since we were dressed nicely, but I asked if we could walk instead just so I could see where I had been before. On the way over, I kept my eyes peeled for people I had met before, mostly the homeless. Last time I was in Malaysia, we spent a lot of our time talking and caring for the homeless on the streets, so I wanted to see if I saw any familiar faces.
As we rounded one of our well-traveled corners, I saw a man sitting on the ground with a horribly infected leg. It was extremely swollen with huge knots everywhere, and it also had an open wound that looked very infected. I quickly approached the man and asked him what his name was…”Augustus.” My jaw almost dropped. This was a man two of my teammates had spent SOOOO much time with the last time we were here, begging him to go to the hospital, finding out about his life, and ultimately just loving him with Jesus’ love.
I tried to explain who I was and that my friends’ had cared for him so deeply back in the spring, but he did not remember them. “I meet and see a lot of people,” he told me. I told him I completely understood, and then asked if I could pray for him. He agreed, and I squatted down on the side of the road to pray for this man who had entered into my life again. Nothing special was prayed over him, I just prayed he would know that he is truly being pursued by God. After I said Amen, I opened my eyes and saw his eyes full of tears.
“You remembered me.”
Those are the only words he could say over and over again to me. As I got tears in my eyes as well, all I could get out was to tell him how much God truly loved him and was pursuing him in CRAZY, TANGIBLE ways. My time with Augustus was a divine appointment for the both of us. It made me realize how deeply God pursues His people, no matter where they are in life, whether they sit behind a desk or on the side of the street begging for money. God doesn’t see us differently because He sent His Son to die for every single one of His people. Augustus is being pursued by the Lord, and I pray He comprehends the amount of love the Father has for him each and every single day.
I also pray I comprehend the amount of love the Father has for me, and I pray you comprehend the amount of love the Father has for you. You are being pursued by Him daily. Please take the time to open your eyes to heavenly things and see the areas in which He is pursuing you as well, no matter where you are and no matter what you are doing. You are loved. You are pursued. You are His.
I am loved. I am pursued. I am His.
