One of your “Youth” that is on an 11 countries in 11 months mission trip. His story brought tears to my eyes, and makes me realize just how blessed we are. Just thought I would share….
Lillian is a little old lady who lives in downtown Muizenburg. She is homeless.
As Christin and I walked by her, she was leaned up against the side of the building holding her few pieces of cardboard, wearing her dirty, old, torn clothes. She quietly spoke and asked us for some food. I took her cardboard from her and held it while Christin and her went shopping inside for a few items.
A few moments later, they returned. She was smiling from ear to ear. Christin asked if we could pray with her, and she said yes. She mentioned that her eyes were severely infected and she was in pain. So as we prayed over her, we laid our hands on her and asked Jesus to heal her eyes. To provide safety and warmth for her. To let her know that she is loved and that God see’s her. We finished up and she said that her wish was for a blanket to keep her warm because the cardboard didn’t always do the job. We told her that God would provide and said our goodbyes.
When we arrived back at the hostel, I asked my friend Amanda if she still had the blanket that she had picked up on the airplane over from China
When we finally found her, she was huddled under a bridge with 4 other homeless people, sharing her recently bought groceries that Christin had purchased for her. When we got up to her, Amanda handed her the pillow and blanket and I gave her the eye drops, and she immediately began to cry. We stayed for a little bit and prayed with the group again.
One of the ladies was pregnant. She was hungry, and God spoke to me and said, “feed her.” My heart broke for her. So we took her and got her some supper. I could not stand the thought of her baby going hungry. As she ate her hamburger, her face lit up. God is so good we told her. It was humbling.
My fear is that often times we miss it. I mean, we really really miss it. Miss the opportunity to bless those around us. I am learning more and more that God has blessed us to be a blessing to others. The greatest blessing ever has blessed us so that we can take HIS blessing and bless others. Did you get that…? Jesus Christ, the savior of the world who took away our sins, has blessed us with the hope that we will go out and share the blessing with others… The blessing of life in Christ.
Don’t miss it. The word says that we are to be imitators of Christ… So, whose image are you conforming too?
