A few days ago we took a trip to a nearby village. We haven’t made too many village trips so far and none of us knew quite what to expect. We were welcomed in by the one christian family in the area and we waited for people to come. When we started our own version of a service a few began to look weary. But one man caught my attention. He sat in the back of the crowd hanging on each word that was said. He sat with one leg pulled into his chest and his chin resting on his knee. His shoulders sagged with the weight of the work he had done earlier in the day. His eyes just looked tired. After the message was over my heart was completely broken for him. He looked hopeless and lonely. He looked like a mad defeated. So then the audience was left with a few questions. Are you sick? lonely? do you feel like there is nothing to this life? do you want more? We did have a few skeptics in the crowd but this man responded. He said yes. He was tired and sick. He wanted healing. So after all the speakers were finished this man was first in line for prayer. He wanted this healing, this life that we had just talked about. He could see the hope and the healing. When he was explaining what was wrong he told us he had body pain. His joints were sore from laboring for so many years. Well we prayed. When we took our hands off of his shoulders and he walked away his limp was still there. I could still see the pain as he walked away from us.
I couldn’t understand it. Why couldn’t this be it. Why had God broken my heart for him just to see him walk away unchanged. Why hadn’t God chosen this to be his time. Why couldn’t he have found his salvation that day. I keep thinking back to that afternoon. And that man. I wish I could have done something differently and that he would have heard Gods voice and accepted it as truth. And that he could have found this life of hope, mercy and grace that we were speaking about.
But through it I’ve learned a few things. That I serve a God that has plans bigger than my own. That we are here to share the glory of God nor force it on people. Ultimately it will be their choice. And even if I did make a mistake by not chasing after him when he walked away God is not hindered by my imperfections. That he is in no way held back by my mistakes. So I’ve learned to rest in those truths and trust that he knows better. And that it’s not the end of this mans story. That God is still speaking and moving. Just because he didn’t accept Jesus today doesn’t mean he won’t tomorrow.
