She walked through the door with her blue eyes wide opened
and focused directly on me. She
came toward me with arms stretched out and a smile that spread across her face.
She wrapped her arms around me and I immediately embraced her. She was a very “special” young woman who appeared to
be in her twenties, yet had the heart and mind of a precious child. It was the
very first day of Houston 1:8, which is our church’s annual mission trip to our
very own city where we minister to children, youth and adults through Bible
stories and crafts along with many other activities. This week I have had the privilege of teaching a Bible study
to women at one of our mission sites.
This is where I encountered
sweet Stephanie.
The first night after all the women had arrived my friend
Irina stood to open the program for the night by going over our schedule. She explained that we would first have
a Bible lesson followed by a craft and end with some singing. At the mention of singing, sweet
Stephanie could not contain herself any longer and stood to her feet and asked,
“Can I sing?” Without any
hesitation Irina guided her to her side and said, “You can stand right here
with me and sing. What would you
like to sing?” Stephanie began to
sing in a very quiet voice. It was as if time stood still. The ladies hushed their talking and leaned
forward to hear what she was singing.
“Silent night, holy night” she timidly began. Then the room filled with every voice singing, “All is calm,
all is bright.” With every word
the voices sang a little louder and then Stephanie motioned for us to clap
along with her. This was a
first! I do not believe I have
ever clapped my way through Silent Night.
It was a moment I shall not soon forget. Christmas had
come on a hot July night – a totally unexpected moment.
This year the Lord has called me to focus on learning all
the details of the gospel message so that I can communicate it more
effectively. My mind was
focused on presenting the gospel that first night of Houston 1:8. I had made a chart, scripture cards and
prepared a clear message. In all
my preparations I never planned on meeting Stephanie or singing Silent
Night. I tend to get lost in
my detailed plans and forget that God has bigger and better plans. In that Christmas moment I was reminded
of the reason for the season. My
memory verse this week has been 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, “For Christ’s love
compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all . . . and he died
for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him
who died for them and was raised again.” This mission trip to my city is not about “me and my
plans” or even about what I think God has had me focus on this year. It is about Christ’s love controlling
me and compelling me to love like He loved; to die like He died; to serve like
He served.
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Sweet Stephanie has taught me much about the gospel this
week. That in coming to Christ we
must come to Him like a child with eyes wide opened focused on Jesus and arms stretched
out reaching for Him with a child-like faith. Stephanie’s embrace brought me back to the first time I
embraced the gospel. I believed
without any doubt that Jesus had come to earth, died on a cross as a payment
for my sin and that He was raised up from the grave to defeat death and sin and
provide me with an eternity spent in His presence experiencing His peace. That sweet “special” woman reminded me
that sharing the gospel began with a mother and a child on a silent and holy
night where suddenly their appeared a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God
and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom
He is pleased.” (Luke 2:1) The gospel message began with praises, just as our
night on mission began with a small gathering of women singing Silent Night to
the glory of God!
After our Christmas caroling I stood with a renewed passion
to make known among them the riches of the glory of the gospel, which is Christ
in me, the hope of glory.
(Colossians 1:27) I felt
the Lord’s pleasure as His Spirit compelled me to share about His plans to
bring each woman a future filled with hope if they would only call out and
reach out for Him with all their hearts.
At the end of the night I thanked God for bringing a sweet precious
woman-child into my life to mess up my plans and usher us instead into the
presence of our sweet Savior on such a silent, holy summer night.
Have you experienced the embrace of the Savior? Have you
been too busy with your plans and totally missed what God was up to? “Awaken from your sleep; for now
salvation is nearer than when we first
believed.” Romans 13:11 Don’t miss out on any opportunity to
reach out and embrace someone with the love of Christ today. I can assure you that you will not soon
forget what God will do in that moment.
Compelled by Christ’s Love,
Nancy
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