This last month I have had many encounters with people, both positive and negative. Serbia is a place that I have come to love so much. The country in and of itself is beautiful. The food is amazing! The people here have a very hard exterior but such a sweet interior. I was thrown off by this. My first thought was, “Oh boy, I am not going to like it here because the people are so harsh, brash and cold.” And man, my first impression was completely wrong and I am so glad!
A couple days ago I was on my way to dinner with two of my teammates and one of our squad leaders and had a beautiful encounter with a young man.
Now Papa has been teaching me so much about His love and how to fully embrace it and share it. I was asking Him to put someone in my path that I could share everything I have been learning from Papa. He answered in such a beautiful way!
“Please I am so hungry…” were his first words to me.
This just broke my heart. Here I am walking to dinner and I am reminded that there are people all around me not knowing where their next meal is coming from.
“Hi, my name is Jenny. What is your name?”
“Alex… Can you help me?”
He begins talking with me about what He is doing on the streets. “I am just trying to get a ticket to Kosovo to get home to my mom…Can you help me?”
I looked at Alex and said, “Look Alex, I am sorry. I don’t have much to give you but this is what I can give you.” I proceed to hand him my bag of groceries which I had bought for the next 3 days.
“No, I cannot take this, it’s too much!”
“Alex, it’s okay. I can go and get more. I want to give these to you. It is a gift.”
As the words came out it was like I was experiencing what Jesus said to people that didn’t have a relationship with Him or how even when He wants to give me a gift I shut Him down.
WOW, I was overwhelmed with emotions!
As we were talking I just felt this nudge in my heart, “You asked me for someone to show my love to and share everything you are learning; here is your chance!”
“Alex, do you know who Jesus is?”
“Yes I do.”
“I just want you to know that He loves you and is going to give you all that you need and more! He wants you to trust Him and lean on Him for all your needs. He wants to help you because of His never ending love for you.”
“Jenny thank you for sharing that with me and talking with me. You are the first person to talk to me tonight.”
As I begin to wrap up my conversation with Alex, I opened my wallet and give him the rest of the money. Now it was only about two dollars but it was all I had to give to Him. “Alex can I pray for you before I go?”
“Yes and my mom, I just want to get back to her.”
And so I prayed for Him and said goodnight.
I walked away from that conversation completely wrecked! Papa’s love for us is so beautiful and has no borders. Papa is so good and He is showing up in big ways here in Serbia and I can’t get enough of it all.
I am so willing to give all that have to people who are hurting or in need but sometimes struggle with giving it all to Papa. With Alex it was so easy to give him what I had even if it isn’t much, so why is it so hard to give myself fully to Papa sometimes!?
Even if you don’t have much to offer Papa, He wants it all! ALL OF YOU, no part is too broken, messy or complicated! You have so much to offer and He wants to bless you in every way possible. This lesson is still something I am learning but with every step of obedience I am seeing the blessings!
I want to encourage you look inside yourself, what is holding you back from giving your whole self to Papa?
Jenny Marie Kordelski
#Jenskianswersthecall
