| The wind picked up and it was getting cold as we went to
the chapel for Sunday service and found our family was the only people there. As
missionaries, in a country that does not recognize Jesus and in a place where people may
be persecuted for just saying that they do, we were not surprised. It has now been 2
years here and we have made progress with the medical clinic and making friends, but Jesus
is not apparent in this part of the world. "Oh, dear Lord!" we cried
out. "What can we do?" We raised our voices in praise singing and
bowed our heads in prayer. Our voices echoed in this stone walled room with very
little to soften the repeat. At a pause we heard nothing but our breathing and our
heartbeats. We saw only the vapor of our breath as it condensed in the cold air.
"Father, we love you, we worship you, and we thank you for this place, these
people, and the possibilities of our faith. What would you have us do? We lay
ourselves before you, submitting to your will."
Returning to song, we raised our voices so that the echo was ringing in our ears.
Surely, He can hear us and see our need to reach these people. Then as our time drew
to the end we closed by again praising Him. We turned off the single light and
opened the heavy wooden door that had seen hundreds of years of use, but little in the way
Christian hearts. The heavy door swings easily on well-balanced pins.
The snow had begun to fall and had laid a soft blanket of white before us. To our
great surprise there were a single set of fresh footprints in the snow coming TO the
door. We had not heard anyone come in to join us and the prints were not ours.
Did someone come to listen, but was too afraid to show? Did we miss the opportunity
to share the Gospel with someone? Who could this have been? Where did the
person go for there were no prints leading away? Was this Jesus coming to join us?
Our questions brought tears to my eyes as I looked at these empty footprints.
Then, a rush of joy came upon me and I was filled with renewed hope, for these empty
footprints were those of the Holy Spirit in this country. He is in these people and
waiting at our door to be led to Jesus. Our mission is to open the heavy door that
separates us and let them see the joy we have knowing Him.
The heavy door of separation may be easily moved, for it swings on well-balanced pins.
We need only to reach out for the latch and He will enter this place. His
entering will bring warmth and light and the promise of an everlasting place with Him. |