Some of you may know I have had some additional health battles since Christmas. A rapidly deteriorating hernia has made a significant hat on recovery from the lumbar fusion.
Today, it was a fairly bad morning – the pain to get up or walk was pretty intense. Someone was coming to pick up a parcel so I planned to ask one of the kids to walk up to gate and meet them.
As I went to ask them I had a feint thought: “maybe God wants me to talk to Shane (not his real name)”.
I wanted to swat that thought away, and wrestled with whether it was God or just me and my never ending desire to do too much (a huge part of the reason I am in the physical condition I am). I have shared briefly with this man, who is also a chronic pain sufferer and is struggling at the moment.
I decided I would go and meet ’Shane’ – as I walked to the gate I prayed ‘God if it is Your will, give me an opportunity, give me the words to speak’.
While I have been ill, the bowel has made clear thought and concentration very difficult, even ignoring the pain side of things with my back.
Anyway I talked to Shane briefly – I really don’t know what I said about Jesus, but he responded immediately:
“Adam, I think there must be something out there…”
He then recounted in great detail a book he had just finished where a sniper in Afghanistan had a number of things happen in quick succession that could not be explained by coincidence. This staunch atheist had a revelation from someone else’s experience!
This lone sniper who survived (the rest of the unit were KIA), discovered upon his return to the US that his entire community had camped at a local park praying for him night and day for the duration of his mission.
I was able to share with Shane how adamant and stubborn I used to be, how certain I was that there was no God.
I shared about how many events, circumstances and ‘co-incidences’ God had to orchestrate before I was finally forced to admit that there had to be more to it than mere chance.
To say it was a fruitful conversation is an understatement.
As we were talking a lady arrived to pick up her parcel. That also proved fruitful as she recounted a number of incredibly explicit times where Jesus had literally brought her back from death.
Once in a fire, once in a car accident and once in hospital. The last two where she clinically died, then had an encounter with Jesus and He brought her back. One of those times, she could here the heart monitor flatlining, the doctor said he would go and inform the family that she had died.
Then, as Jesus spoke to her offering her life, her heart started again and the doctor came running back to ask the nurses what happened.
I could feel the Holy Spirit as she talked and shared her heart – her questions about why Jesus would do that for her and what did He want from her?
I was able to encourage her and reinforce the fact that Jesus enjoys our time, love, worship and obedience above all. We can never pay Him back or earn anything, just be willing and speak up / out whenever the opportunity arises.
It just goes to show, that if we are willing to speak for Him, to be used by Him, He will use us: EVERY. SINGLE. TIME!
People everywhere have been given life, rescued and awakened by Jesus. Some of them have had incredibly vivid encounters with Him. He is far from dead, buried or confined within false religion.
What a mighty Saviour, the Prince of Peace, King of Glory – He is the Christ, ever present and interacting with the ones He created. Do you remember the first time He stepped into your world and saved you? What about the last time? Or the times in between?
I encourage you – remember them, write them down, share them with others.
If you are not aware of Him or His involvement in your life, ask Him to show you if He is still alive. Do it! Right now – what do you have to loose?
“My Father is always working, and so am I.”
– Jesus
John 5:17 (NLT)
Lord, give us the desire to share the incredible wealth of the knowledge of who You are with others. Use us despite our weakness and inability – and continually reveal to us the ways that You are working in our lives. Thank You for all You have done and are doing in our lives.