Hey everyone! I’ve now been in Cambodia for a little over a week, and this has been one of the experiences that have stuck with me the most:
God loves people. We see that in the well-known verse, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” We see it in Jesus’ compassion for lepers, notorious sinners, and crowds of people. He is love.
Yesterday, I experienced the depth of His love for people in a way I never have before.
It was our first Adventure Day (every Saturday, we get a day off from ministry to explore the area we’re in), so we took a tuk tuk (the Cambodian equivalent of a taxi) and toured multiple spots in Battambang. We visited the bamboo train, the killing fields that were used in the Khmer Rouge, a restaurant where they make rice paper, a stand where they make sticky rice in bamboo sticks, a bat cave, a suspension bridge, and a temple.
At first, I felt uncomfortable about going to a temple dedicated to the worship a false god, but we went anyway. As the tuk tuk pulled up to the temple, I saw some people playing around in front of it. One of them was in a wheel chair. Once we payed to get in and started walking towards the entrance of what turned out to be ruins of an older temple, the young man in wheel chair started coming over to the group of four girls I was with. It made me uncomfortable, and I’m saddened to admit that I wanted him to leave us alone. The other girls, however, were loving attempting to communicate with him (I think he had some sort of disability that also impacted his ability to talk) and take pictures with him. We continued along the path when I was suddenly reminded that Jesus healed those with broken bones and limbs that refused to work.
“Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!’” Matthew 9:6b
I grew incredibly scared. I REALLY didn’t want to try doing it myself… but my spirit SO DID.
I remembered the verse that says we’ll do even greater things than Jesus did, and I knew God had put his guy on my heart to do something about it. The whole walk back to the tuk tuk, I was freaking out. I was so nervous and unsure. Then I saw him. I walked over, asked if I could pray for him, he nodded, and I prayed. I prayed he would tangibly feel the love of God wrapping around him, and for complete healing.
As I walked away, my heart was going wild. He hadn’t stood up, and I wanted to go back and try again. I reached the tuk tuk and saw one of my leaders. Then, as if God himself were pouring out His love and compassion for this man through me, I began to cry. “I think God wants this man to walk,” came from my mouth. But I believe it came straight from the heart of God.
Before all of this, I felt like I didn’t care as much as I should about the people here, so I asked God to break my heart for what breaks His. And here I am.
God answered my prayer. This is why I’m asking you all, my readers, to pray for this man as much as you would for yourself, if you were in the same situation. We are called to love one another more than our own flesh. That means mourning with those who mourn and rejoicing with those who rejoice. It means taking on one another’s burdens. It means sacrificing your own needs, wants, and time. Please join me in praying for the healing and salvation of the man at the temple. God loves him so much.
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Matthew 7:7-8
God answered my prayer to break my heart for what breaks His. I believe He’ll answer this too.
Thank you all so much!
