Even just 1

As usual the people were chattering amongst themselves. I purposely stood right in front of an aunty who was busy chatting instead of listening. But she just smiled at me and continued right on talking to her neighbor. Many times I wonder why we bother sharing our messages of love, hope or the good news of the gospel to an audience who by and large don't seem interested. If they have been around from the beginning of the street feeding work more than 10 years ago, they would likely have heard the same message thousands of times before. It is patently obvious many come only to eat the free food and get free medical treatment. Some will come in just at the time when food distribution starts, missing out the earlier part of the programme when the message is shared. I know these people only want their stomachs filled, they aren't bothered about getting their souls fed. I have to admit I get frustrated with such attitudes.


But this Saturday, God gave me a reason to hope again. After the food distribution, a man walked up and asked politely if he could speak with me. God forgive me because my head was entertaining the most uncharitable thought that he was going to ask me for money with some sob-story. I am pretty used to their antics and tactics by now. At least one thing I got right - he is a drug junkie. But he didn't ask for money. Instead he told me he was compelled to approach me for help because as I was translating the message just shared, something had gripped his heart. Something now gripped my own heart, as I told him it wasn't me but God talking to him through me. He was attentive for awhile as I explained the only One who can help him deal with his problem once and for all is Jesus Christ; because if he didn't get right with God first, he would just fall again despite his best efforts and intention to change. I told him, like I have told others before, the problem wasn't just the drugs; it was the soul that had gone awhack,away from God, and that was the real source of the problem. I noticed he was falling asleep on me. So I shook him a bit and eye-balled him, willing him to listen up. He shook his head as if trying to shake off something and told me, 'Aunty, it's not that I don't wanna listen, but there's a voice in my head that keeps telling me not to. I feel like an invisible hand is dragging me away from you, my legs want to run out of this place."

If ever I had any doubt that there is a very real spiritual battle going on for our souls, this admission from such an incorrigible character settles the issue.  I recall my dying husband telling me a dream of how he was standing in the middle of a battlefield; with 2 opposing armies, each side pulling at him. And once when I asked my pastor-brother why is it through some 25 years he never told me about Jesus before, he protested he did tell me, but I 'wasn't listening'. Many a time, on the streets, I have had people falling asleep right in the middle of my conversation with them about Jesus. I shouldn't be surprised. Heck, even in church people fall asleep when the preacher starts up. Could it be that I, or the subject of Jesus Christ,  is that boring? Apostle Paul puts it down to something more insidous at work - "... even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). In many places, the Bible talks about people having eyes that fail to see, ears that fail to hear.

Some people scoff at the spiritual as silly superstitious stuff which are the result of an over-active imagination, just because they are unseen and can't be proven. That's their 'faith' to disbelieve, just as much as it's mine to believe otherwise. More than exercising a 'right'; as someone said, even atheists need faith to believe there is no God. Yet it's God Himself who has 'dealt to each one a measure of faith' (Romans 12:3). It's simply a choice of where/what/who we want to put our faith in. Our souls matter both to God and the devil. I have been asked why is it your God can't save everyone and there are still people who go to hell? God can save, but ultimately it's up to us to make the choice to first understand we all need to be saved and then to put ourselves in His hand to be saved. God doesn't drag, force or manipulate anyone to believe; He won't even do magic tricks for us to make believing easier. He only holds up Jesus Christ for us to behold  - His blood-stained cross on Friday and His empty tomb on Sunday. If that isn't enough for man to believe, nothing will be enough.

 But since the man beside me wasn't up to paying attention anymore,  I stopped my sharing, and instead started praying for him. After the prayer, he asked for time to consider. I didn't push it;  enough had been said for now. I had planted the seed; that was all I could and was required to do. God would have to do the rest, for salvation comes from the Lord, not from man. I walked away with renewed hope and increased faith to believe that somehow no matter how far 'gone' we are, no matter how we dismiss God as irrelevant, He is still gracious enough to love us enough to keep on knocking at our hardened  heart's door.  On this Saturday, somehow in the midst of many ears which didn't hear , this one had perked up, and his heart had been quickened to respond, to take that first step out from ignorance to knowledge, from lies to truth -that's a good enuf start.... for this one. Even just 1 is precious to God.

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." - 2 Peter 3:9