Just the other day, a dear new friend of mine sent me the following testimony. It spoke so much to my heart that I asked her if I could share it with you. Here is Seantele's amazing encounter ...
"I read your post from the other day about love and living as Jesus did...putting ourselves in the path of others...etc. I had to share an amazing experience that happened a couple of weeks ago. Over the last year or so, I have really been taking a look at my life and how I am or am not impacting others and showing love. I think often of that song..."If we are the body….why aren't his hands healing...." So, I'm out running errands and had to wait to go back and pick up my dog from the groomer because it's too far from home to not just stay in that area. I go into a Starbucks and decide to stay a while and prepare some things I had to mail. I had a little Bible because I needed to reference a couple of scriptures I was including with something I was mailing. When I walked in I noticed a man in a corner and knew there would be some encounter with him. He was staring into space and did not even respond when his order came up...sitting there for another 10+ min; I sensed he was in great pain and needed the touch of God in his life desperately. He was an older gentleman...I went to the restroom and when I came out, he had moved closer to where I was sitting. I began praying for him silently to myself and wondered "God...what is going on..." Then John 10:10 came to me and I sensed again I would be talking to this man. He was still staring off and behaving quite strangely. I got up to move closer to the window and he looked at me...at my Bible, and then asked if I had a moment. He started talking and he was saying things that sounded crazy...yet I knew at the same time he was coherent. He said something vulgar/sexual and behaved like a typical pervert. I told him he was inappropriate and dismissed myself. When I got to my car, however, as I turned the key...I could not leave. I was filled with compassion and knew that he needed deliverance...that his soul was more important than my being offended by his behavior. I got out of the car & went back and he was sitting outside at this point. I went up to him and I said...."Douglas, do you know Jesus?...Where is your heart?" I told him he was very inappropriate, but that I did not believe that was the real Douglas and that I sensed he was a man in great pain and that God wanted to change his life forever." I prayed with him...he took my hand and I led him in prayer...and prayed that he would begin living in the abundance God had for him...for his mind...the clutter to be gone...that he would be instrumental in leading many others to Christ because of what God was doing in his life that day. He did not say one more perverted thing....his demeanor changed....and I watched Jesus touch his life that day. I don't know where he is Janine...but the love and power of God flooded that corner that day and I believe Douglas will never be the same. When we as Christians look beyond those that we feel we have a right to move away from because of the things they say/do…because they seem like they are just so far gone…because they offend us….or because it requires we move out of our comfort zone… or whatever; and we truly walk in the same love/compassion Jesus did we will begin to see amazing things happen. In the last months I have had a couple of other opportunities….we don’t have to look far…they are all around us. When I saw your post I couldn’t agree more and thought I would share. J God did something for Douglas and for me that day."
May you and I also keep our eyes open to see the opportunities He has laid before us to be a witness of His life, light and freedom!
All my love,
All my love,
Janine
Comments
Thank you for sharing Jan!
love, Nisha xxx
Hi, Janine!
This is my first visit to your blog. Thats an amazing story. I think the most incredible part was the girls obedience to the Lords leading. Those opportunities come to all of us, but we arent always willing to do what He asks.