Yesterday I went with one of our YL leaders to her college. I got to hang out with all of her awesome friends and endure a long college program...but SO worth it for the jolly time I spent with her and her friends. One of the girls was so sweet. I sat next to her on the way back...an hour bus ride on the most horrendous roads known to modern man. These should not be called roads, but mountains and valleys made of rocks and dust. It is like an unnecessary and obnoxious rollercoaster for which you need a chiropractic adjustment afterwards. But what to do! This is India. You just have to laugh to keep from crying :)
Anyway, I digress.
3 things she said that day stood out to me:
"I love going to church. It feels so peaceful, not like Hindu worship at temples which is just loud and annoying."
So many Indians have expressed this to me. I think it's such a reflection of the longing for meaning, rest, forgiveness, true worship, joy, and longing to be a part of a good thing bigger than themselves. I shared with her Matthew 11:28 (Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest) and said I thought the reason she felt peace was because Jesus invites us to find rest in Him by being what we cannot be.
"Jesus said while he was dying, 'Forgive them, for they don't know what they do.' Why did Jesus willingly suffer and why did God allow him to suffer on the cross?"
I had a random, half torn, wee Bible in my purse. So I pulled it out and turned to John 3:16 to let her read it. Unfortunately we were just getting off the bus so we couldn't really talk about it. But I just said the easiest way to answer that question is love.
"I need some shanti (means peace or rest in Hindi)"
We went to the mall and just sat for awhile because we'd been traveling all day. I couldn't help but think how all of us need, desire, and even long for spiritual peace/rest. Made me think again of that verse, Matthew 11:28. Just silently prayed my new friend would find peace in the One who can carry her burdens.
What a privilege to share some things about Jesus with this new friend. It is good news. I'm hoping to have more conversations with her, but so thankful for the opportunity yesterday. I hope you'll pray for her with me, that she and her family will know Jesus one day as loving Savior.
I love you, Meggie! What a soldier for Christ you are. One day, many years ago as a child, I learned of missionaries. I wanted to do that. The innocence of a child. The older I grew, the harder I realized that the life of a foreign missionary is so hard. Hard to be a soldier for Christ in a land so far from family; in a land where your language is not theirs. You are such a gift to the people of India...but they may not realize it until you are back home.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Aunt B, who misses you so much.