Something Awesome this Week
If you have ever sat in one of my Bible Study classes you know about my opener every week where I require reports of something awesome that God did over the past week. I just love hearing stories of God’s awesome faithfulness, power, and love.
And man, do I get them every week. I have heard stories of seriously miraculous healing, stories of folks proclaiming Christ as the Lord and Savior, and tons of other great things. Well, I had one and I thought I would share it with everybody. I usually allow my class to give reports, but this one was just huge for me.
Let me preface the story by saying that I hate the circumstances through which this opportunity came. But I know beyond any doubt that God is the true master of taking horrible situations and turning them into situations where grace and healing abound. OK, sorry, the story:
I have a good friend here at my place of evening employment. He was, at one time, my employee, but we became friends through that. We’ve had a few spats over the three years that we’ve known one another, but we’ve had some really good conversations, as well. They have spanned the gamut from girls to religion to sports to music. All kinds of stuff. We’ve grown about as close as two coworkers can.
Anyway, this friend is a (very) non-practicing Jew who has had a rough life. I cannot disclose any details but suffice it to say that some of the confirmed stories I have heard are both shocking and heartbreaking. Well, Monday morning he woke to the news of a VERY close loved one’s death.
I knew something was wrong when I spoke to him last evening; he broke down in tears as he told me what had happened. I pulled him into the office and let him cry for a while and tell me stories about the good times he had with this person.
Here is the awesome part. After he was done, I asked if he would let me pray for him right then and he accepted! It doesn’t sound like much, I know, but this person is very averted to the whole concept of Christianity in general. So for him to allow me to pray for him aloud like that was a huge breakthrough.
I did not take the opportunity lightly. I made sure to emphasize the comforting power of the Holy Spirit and the saving power of Jesus Christ all the while letting the person know how much he truly meant to me as a friend.
I do not know which point of contact I am on the statistical 15 touches that a person needs to accept Christ, but I am so thankful that I was allowed to be one for my friend yesterday. I have been praying for this man for a long time.
Thank you so much, Lord, for your mercy and grace. Thank you for sending your Son that we might be able to worship you at your throne for eternity. Thank you for allowing me to be a vessel from which your power can flow here on earth. You are so holy and so amazing, I can see your glory in all of creation. Thank you for your love and comfort. Amen.
OK, so what AWESOME stories do you have about the Lord’s faithfulness? I want to hear them in the comments section!
3 Responses to “Something Awesome this Week”
Wow… Ok, that made me cry! God is SO good.
It’s incredibly offensive that you used someone’s moment of grief to try to instigate conversion. You weren’t praying to comfort/benefit this man, but for your own selfish desire to bring people to the lord.
Take a look in the mirror and figure out why you feel the need to trumpet this as an accomplishment.
Thanks for the response, Matt. I didn’t see the comment or I would have approved it earlier.
However, I think that your logic is flawed when it comes to why I pray for someone. I wept with my friend for a long time as he went through this. I know how close he was with this person and it truly pained me to see him go through that kind of grief.
My intention was to let him know that there is Someone who cares. A God that can comfort any hurt and ease any pain.
Yes, I DO hope that he comes to a saving knowledge of the Lord through this ordeal; I am not at all ashamed to say that! I believe that God can take the toughest times in our lives and use them to bring us closer to Him.
You see, praying for his comfort/benefit and praying for his conversion are not mutually exclusive. Both can happen at the same time. Because, the only way to have true and lasting comfort is by coming to know Christ as your personal savior.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes…” – Romans 1:19a
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