Friday, August 29, 2014

From the Journal.....

 

   I thank the Lord for His encouragement to me in Mark 6:31.  Jesus says to His disciples, “’Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.’  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.”  The verse reminds me that it is nothing new for God’s people to find the needs of the Kingdom so pressing that they cannot find time to eat.  But though I am willing to miss meals for the sake of taking care of the people God sends to me, I still find myself burdened by how far people are willing to travel to find me, and how long people are willing (?) to wait before I can see them.  Every day last week the line of people to see me in the morning seemed to get longer and longer.  Twice there were over 100 people waiting.  We had to bring in chairs from other buildings because there was no where for people to sit.  I tried to see them as quickly as I could.  People waited in line so long.  On one day we had some 80 people signed in to see me almost as soon as we opened the doors to the clinic.  As I began to try to meet their needs I couldn’t escape the burden of knowing that many of them would have to wait much of the day before I could even begin to see them.  So as I walked from 1 patient to another I clenched my fists and made up my mind that today I would not take the time to tell anyone about Christ.  Perhaps they could hear the gospel from my staff, but as for me, I had to concentrate on taking care of the physical needs that appeared to be too great to allow me to do anything else.  So I saw patients one by one and did not speak of spiritual matters.  But soon I could not take it.  I felt a pressure in my chest.  I felt this heat pent up inside me until I couldn’t take it anymore.  “Have you ever heard about God before?” burst out from me as I finished seeing a young man.  He had, wasn’t interested, and soon I was on to the next person.  After seeing them and talking about their medical needs I talked to them about Christ as well.  They were not interested and the talk was short.  But the 3rd person I saw after that was interested.  She was afraid of demons, wanted a way to avoid making sacrifices to demons and was drawn in by the power and love of Jesus.  We talked for a while, and right there in exam room 1 she confessed her sins and asked Jesus to cleanse her and be Lord of her life.  Julie, one of my nurses, came and ushered her out to talk with her more about her next steps in walking with God.  I sat for a minute (a short minute) alone in the room and felt at peace. 

     “Then I said, ‘I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name.”  But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back and I could not (Jeremiah 20:9).”  I felt this word of the Lord re-lived in me this past week.  It is such a joy to see God’s truths from so long ago still applying to our day.  God’s word called me to His service and called a young woman to His salvation at the same time.  Reading His word and seeing Him work, give me strength for today and encourage me to continue to work faithfully for Him tomorrow. 

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