A young man from the Philippines had just arrived in his dorm room. It had been a long four day trip to get there. He was glad the journey was over, but now he was very homesick. The school was Ivy League and his father and family were so terribly proud that he was there.
At first he was excited about being there, but now that he was there he wasn’t so sure. He set down on a chair in the room with his bags lying on the floor all around him and tears began to well up in his eyes as he began to think of how lonely he was, how overwhelmed he felt, and how unsure he was of his future there.
About that time there was a knock on the door. The young Philippine student wiped his eyes and opened the door to discover a young energetic young man. The young man introduced himself as a fellow student in his second year. He had noticed the young Philippine student arrive and he wanted to come and meet him and hear where he was from.
The two students sat down and the Philippine student told his new acquaintance all about his family and homeland, but began to sputter a little as his emotions began to show.
The second year student realized he was having a hard time and so he said, “listen, I can imagine you feel a little overwhelmed right now, but I want you to know you have a friend in me. I am going to make your stay here so great you are never going to want to go back home.”
As he got up to go, he asked the Philippine student if he planned to attend church tomorrow. The Philippine student said that he was a lapsed Catholic, but had intended on going to church tomorrow. The energetic student immediately pulled out a sheet of paper and began drawing him a map. “It’s a long way from here, but this will help you get there. You need to give yourself about an hour travel time to make it.”
The two friends shook hands and one went to see other friends and the other began to unpack.
The next morning when the Philippine student woke up, he looked out the window and saw rain pouring out of the sky. He laid there in his warm bed and told himself he would go next week.
Just as he was about to fall back asleep he heard a knock at the door. To his surprise, when he opened the door he found his new friend smiling back at him. He was soaking wet, but he had two umbrellas in his hands. “I’ve come to walk you to church,” he said.
Embarrassed by his lack of discipline, the Philippine student got himself dressed quickly and the two friends set out to go to church. About five minutes into the miserable soaking walk, the Philippine student asked his friend if he attended church anywhere and if it was closer. He explained that he did and that it was only about two minutes from there.
The Philippine student asked if they could just go to his church instead and they did. It was a church like the young Philippine student had never seen. The people stood and sang joyfully, the speaker spoke from the Bible, and the young Philippine student felt strangely warmed by a Presence he had never felt before.
He kept attending that church and in time came to make a confession in Christ and was baptized. He later returned home as a pastor and he spent his life sharing the love his American friend had shown him and preaching the Bible that taught him about Christ.
Are you the kind of Christian who takes two umbrellas to help someone get to church? The Lord is looking for servants who will love lost people as much as he does and get out of their comfort zone the way He did and help people follow Christ.
Who are you helping "Get to God" this Sunday?
At first he was excited about being there, but now that he was there he wasn’t so sure. He set down on a chair in the room with his bags lying on the floor all around him and tears began to well up in his eyes as he began to think of how lonely he was, how overwhelmed he felt, and how unsure he was of his future there.
About that time there was a knock on the door. The young Philippine student wiped his eyes and opened the door to discover a young energetic young man. The young man introduced himself as a fellow student in his second year. He had noticed the young Philippine student arrive and he wanted to come and meet him and hear where he was from.
The two students sat down and the Philippine student told his new acquaintance all about his family and homeland, but began to sputter a little as his emotions began to show.
The second year student realized he was having a hard time and so he said, “listen, I can imagine you feel a little overwhelmed right now, but I want you to know you have a friend in me. I am going to make your stay here so great you are never going to want to go back home.”
As he got up to go, he asked the Philippine student if he planned to attend church tomorrow. The Philippine student said that he was a lapsed Catholic, but had intended on going to church tomorrow. The energetic student immediately pulled out a sheet of paper and began drawing him a map. “It’s a long way from here, but this will help you get there. You need to give yourself about an hour travel time to make it.”
The two friends shook hands and one went to see other friends and the other began to unpack.
The next morning when the Philippine student woke up, he looked out the window and saw rain pouring out of the sky. He laid there in his warm bed and told himself he would go next week.
Just as he was about to fall back asleep he heard a knock at the door. To his surprise, when he opened the door he found his new friend smiling back at him. He was soaking wet, but he had two umbrellas in his hands. “I’ve come to walk you to church,” he said.
Embarrassed by his lack of discipline, the Philippine student got himself dressed quickly and the two friends set out to go to church. About five minutes into the miserable soaking walk, the Philippine student asked his friend if he attended church anywhere and if it was closer. He explained that he did and that it was only about two minutes from there.
The Philippine student asked if they could just go to his church instead and they did. It was a church like the young Philippine student had never seen. The people stood and sang joyfully, the speaker spoke from the Bible, and the young Philippine student felt strangely warmed by a Presence he had never felt before.
He kept attending that church and in time came to make a confession in Christ and was baptized. He later returned home as a pastor and he spent his life sharing the love his American friend had shown him and preaching the Bible that taught him about Christ.
Are you the kind of Christian who takes two umbrellas to help someone get to church? The Lord is looking for servants who will love lost people as much as he does and get out of their comfort zone the way He did and help people follow Christ.
Who are you helping "Get to God" this Sunday?
Investing and Inviting = I-squared.
It's a way of life.
Email questions or comments to jpettus@lhbg.org.
1 comment:
Well said.
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