In life, there are certain moments that are sure to hit you upside the head and wack the doubt and disappointment right out of your system, and needless to say… what I am about to tell you was one of those times. This moment specifically hit me when I realized that my expectations and my assumptions are rarely correct and that its God who makes things happen, not me.
It began five weeks ago. Ryder and I were roaming the school cafeteria with our long faces stretching to the floor in disappointment. We had entered the cafeteria with the hopes of finding a new friend, but were now on our way out with empty stomachs and hearts tired of searching. As the cafeteria began to shut down, we were walking towards the door when I caught a girls smile at the same time she caught mine. Before you could say “Flabbergasted” we were talking! Her and her friend were free that afternoon and so for some time we sat and listened in on every little detail of their lives. Then as we sat in the barren courtyard, their attention grasping on to every word we spoke, we began to share God’s story.
As the story came to a close, we asked that one question; the question that changes everything. And that is of course, “Would you like to follow God?” They took sometime to think it over, one clearly uncertain, the other looking as though she had an all out brawl occurring within her. “Yes, I do!” the second girl said, as the other said she needed time. But she further revealed, as we elaborated on the decision she was about to make, that she was not willing to follow God with her actions, only her heart. This cut us deep.
In the next weeks that would pass, we would try to meet with them both to follow up, but often plans would follow through or, well, not go as planned. But soon enough, and to my surprise, at an odd hour of the day I received a text from an unknown number that was nearly a plea to meet right away so that she could join the family immediately.
More than slightly suspicious (this not being the everyday encounter among most Asian friends), I scheduled a meeting for the very next day. Honestly unsure of who we were meeting, due to the fact that she changed her name (they do that sometimes) anxiety and fear crept in. But as I called this mystery girl at the place we were to meet, I turned my head I realized that I was looking directly at both her and her friend! This made me feel both silly and excited for the meeting about to commence.
The next couple hours seemed to go in slow motion as every moment left me in awe and wonder as God revealed how wonderful He is and how simple I am. God had encountered this girl, He had met with her, He had showed Himself real and He was about to do the very same thing with her friend. To think I had been filled with anxiety and suspicion!
She got saved that day! And from that day, she is no longer convinced that her faith is to be inactive, but she is one of the most active family members I have seen as she continues to win friends over for God. It’s amazing what God can do just by showing up and who He can use (cough cough… Me) despite their wavering faith.
It is so easy to forget that although we are limited, God is limitless. I hope this has encouraged you, just as it encouraged me, to be active in your faith and to keep testing your limits.