We recently celebrated 9 years of marriage. My husband creatively presented me with 9 envelopes which contained 9 days of adventures to commemorate our time together. Needless to say, I gave God praise and thanks for such faithfulness and mercy in choosing my husband for me, and not allowing me to choose for myself...but that's a discussion for another Talk Tuesday. Each envelope contained a clue as to the location of our next date. When I opened Day 2 it read, 'Taking you higher.' Well, I immediately guessed...the CN Tower! Yes, I was right and excited.
The CN Tower is the the world's tallest Tower, standing at 553.33m or 1,815ft, 5 inches. My husband took me up to the Look Out Level, as the dusky sky reflected the last rays of the sleeping sun. I looked out at the breathtaking view of the city of Toronto. What I didn't share with my husband was that as I looked out at the sleeping city, with its many lights telling the story of the lives below, my heart began to grieve. Last week, two people I knew, in their early 40s, had passed away. My heart ached for their families and loved ones-those left behind to pick up the pieces of a life transformed by loss. I asked myself, "Did they know Jesus?"
You see, the Bible makes such bold claims regarding those who die in Christ:
"For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him." 1 Thessalonians 4:14
"We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:8
"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 1 Corinthians 15:55
We made our way down to the Observation Deck, and after a rather nerve-wracking tour on the gated outer-level, we waited by the elevator for our turn to return to ground level. Suddenly, a woman with a kindly face approached me, as I sat in my wheelchair waiting. It was a rather long day and on those odd occasions, my legs do not function as I would like them to, and this was one of those days. She asked me what was wrong. Then she asked me if I knew Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. She offered to pray for me, for God's healing. As we spoke, I realized that God had sent His messenger, a missionary all the way from Kenya who was visiting Toronto, to tell me this message, "We have to tell people about Jesus." She began to speak into our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit, stirring up dreams that we quietly prayed about to the Lord. She said, "No matter how much technological advances man make, they still need to know Jesus."
I paused because the Lord addressed the pain I was guarding in my heart. His message to me, and to all of His children is to, 'Tell the world about Jesus.'
2 comments:
When it comes to serving it can be a challenge at times and I've been at the verge of giving up. But last week He gave me this word:
I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction. - 2Timothy 4:2
But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. - 2Timothy 4:5
Interesting I forgot what God spoke just last week and I asked God for new direction. Thank you once again for sharing. It reminded me why I do what I do.
Thanks Anonymous ... and thanks Natasha for sharing ...
I have been thinking about this a lot as well... and feel the sense of urgency to at least create more opportunities (or be sensitive to the opportunities that God provides) to share about the Lord. While some are closed off to the things of God, others are hungry for truth and welcome a stranger who would take the "risk" to share it.
Recently, very early one morning on Good Friday, I got into a taxi and asked the (Sikh) driver if he knew what was good about Good Friday. (I had not planned this ... sometimes I make conversations with taxi drivers, other times I don't ... but this morning, these were the first words out of my mouth without even having gotten a "feel" for what the driver was like! And I was dead tired on top of that... not really in a conversational mood ... I had not slept well and it was very, very early.)
Without even telling him where I was going/where he should drive me to, I just asked the question. He asked me to clarify where I was going, and when I did, after a couple of minutes of explaining where and how to get there, HE turned the conversation back to where I had begun ... asking, "Please, can you tell me what's good about Good Friday?" So I had a wide open door to begin sharing. Long story short, I began to share with him about what Good Friday meant and about the meaning of all the times we live in ... all the warning signs of Jesus' return, and why it's important to make a decision for Christ while there is time. I know his name and continue to pray for Him as the Lord leads, but that day I saw how easy it is to miss those who really want to know the truth but who don't necessarily have a "safe" place to ask... and how God can use us to reach people who will never come to church.
Now, while I have had some positive experiences sharing the gospel (or attempting to share) with taxi drivers and others, I must say that in still other cases people got angry or totally ignored me ... so my point is, I want to encourage myself and anyone else reading to ask the Holy Spirit for boldness and to trust Him and just speak out as He leads. Sometimes we may not have to actually speak, but we should be ready at all times. That experience really encouraged me to be more mindful around strangers or aquaintances of whether a door will open or not, rather than to just be pre-occupied with my own tiredness or issues.
So thanks again for this reminder.
And Happy 9th Anniversary! May the Lord bless you with many more years together, and lots of answered prayers, hopes and dreams.
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