"But He needed to go through Samaria" John 4:4
I had begun my first prayers for *Anna about five years previous. I want everyone to come to know Jesus as their Savior. Jesus died for Anna also. She needs to hear the Gospel too.
I thought it was a disaster. The whole arrangement collapsed. It wasn't going to be the Outreach ministry I had imagined. I wouldn't be speaking to a group of over 40 women after all. I misunderstood the Activities Committees' plans. Now I was apologizing to all those Facebook friends I invited. How awful. How embarrassing.
I was on my way to pick up Anna at the hospital. Her husband, my sister's husband's brother has Crohn's Disease and was very sick. Anna had taken him to the ER that morning, vomiting blood. Now that he was stabilized and in a room at least overnight, she needed a ride home. Anna can't drive. My sister's husband is deaf, so he can't answer the telephone. My sister was at work, so she asked me if I could pick up Anna .
Yes, I could.
While waiting for Anna to call, I was on Facebook, making my apologies. When Anna called, before I left, I told my husband to pray for me as I wanted an opening to present the Gospel. Driving to the hospital, I was praying, "Please God, don't let me mess it up. Make it the easiest opening I could have. I've got about fifteen minutes to make it happen while I've got her in the car. Be glorified in this, Lord."
In the hospital parking lot, Anna got into the car. Before I'd driven from the lot, Anna said, "Thank you for taking this time from your day to come and get me."
I said, "You're welcome. I was glad for the interruption anyway. I was apologizing to 40 Facebook friends."
Anna asked "Why were you doing that?"
Wow! There it was--God's opening! I silently said, "Thank you, Lord," and proceeded to explain to Anna about the mixed-up mess that was supposed to be my speaking engagement.
Anna asked me what church I attended. I told her about Grace Bible Church, Sangerville, Maine and our Nondenominational status. How we believe the Bible is the infallible word of God. We believe God is fully Three-In-One Persons of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe Jesus is fully God yet came to earth as a Man, born of a Virgin. He lived a sinless life for 33 and 1/2 years on this earth. He died, crucified on a Roman Cross as God's perfect Sacrifice for all the sins of the world. He was buried in the grave for three days and nights then rose again. He ascended back to heaven to sit down at the right hand of God. And some day Jesus is returning for all those who believe on Him. All who call upon His name.
In a little under twelve miles, I got to tell Anna the Gospel. She had never ever before heard what I had said.
Before she got out of the car, I asked her about what I'd said and she said she'd think about it. I pulled the Bible Tract from my pocket, the one with the church information stamped on the back, and told her to read it. It would say all the things she would need to understand Jesus died for her. Before she closed the door, I told her I prayed for her and I would continue to pray for her.
I had started the day with tears in my eyes thinking everything was ruined. My opportunity to present the Gospel to a large group, with possibly several unsaved ladies in attendance, had collapsed into shambles. It had been a puff of a dream, something I thought I had conjured up that I wanted God to endorse. I thought I had gotten it so wrong.
Now I was crying for joy. There was nothing wrong! Everything was exactly right. It wasn't about my speaking at all. It was all about God answering my prayer to give the Gospel to Anna. The whole episode was just to present the Good News to Anna .
God had planned all of this.
I needed to go through 'Samaria' .
If the Activities Committee hadn't given me the opportunity to speak, I wouldn't have begun making the plans. If someone else had called the restaurant, I personally wouldn't have discovered the mess-up. If I hadn't gotten upset enough to try and right the mistake I'd made, I wouldn't have gone to the restaurant. If I hadn't wanted some church information to give to the restaurant manager, I wouldn't have discovered the Bible Tract in my pocket. If my sister hadn't offered me the exercise machine, I wouldn't have gone to see her that day. If my friend had gone with me to the restaurant, I wouldn't have gone to visit my sister at her office. If I hadn't invited all those women, there wouldn't have been the apology that gave me the opening I needed to start talking about Jesus to Anna.
Anna didn't accept Jesus that day.
I haven't seen Anna since but God has a handle on her because she heard the Gospel for the very first time in her life. God planned all along to answer my prayer but it was in His time.
Never stop praying. Never imagine an old request isn't remembered by God. An Outreach is any time you can tell someone about Jesus.
You can pray for Anna. She still has time to accept Jesus. Her husband too. My sister and her husband also.
*Anna is not her real name.
I had begun my first prayers for *Anna about five years previous. I want everyone to come to know Jesus as their Savior. Jesus died for Anna also. She needs to hear the Gospel too.
I thought it was a disaster. The whole arrangement collapsed. It wasn't going to be the Outreach ministry I had imagined. I wouldn't be speaking to a group of over 40 women after all. I misunderstood the Activities Committees' plans. Now I was apologizing to all those Facebook friends I invited. How awful. How embarrassing.
I was on my way to pick up Anna at the hospital. Her husband, my sister's husband's brother has Crohn's Disease and was very sick. Anna had taken him to the ER that morning, vomiting blood. Now that he was stabilized and in a room at least overnight, she needed a ride home. Anna can't drive. My sister's husband is deaf, so he can't answer the telephone. My sister was at work, so she asked me if I could pick up Anna .
Yes, I could.
While waiting for Anna to call, I was on Facebook, making my apologies. When Anna called, before I left, I told my husband to pray for me as I wanted an opening to present the Gospel. Driving to the hospital, I was praying, "Please God, don't let me mess it up. Make it the easiest opening I could have. I've got about fifteen minutes to make it happen while I've got her in the car. Be glorified in this, Lord."
In the hospital parking lot, Anna got into the car. Before I'd driven from the lot, Anna said, "Thank you for taking this time from your day to come and get me."
I said, "You're welcome. I was glad for the interruption anyway. I was apologizing to 40 Facebook friends."
Anna asked "Why were you doing that?"
Wow! There it was--God's opening! I silently said, "Thank you, Lord," and proceeded to explain to Anna about the mixed-up mess that was supposed to be my speaking engagement.
Anna asked me what church I attended. I told her about Grace Bible Church, Sangerville, Maine and our Nondenominational status. How we believe the Bible is the infallible word of God. We believe God is fully Three-In-One Persons of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe Jesus is fully God yet came to earth as a Man, born of a Virgin. He lived a sinless life for 33 and 1/2 years on this earth. He died, crucified on a Roman Cross as God's perfect Sacrifice for all the sins of the world. He was buried in the grave for three days and nights then rose again. He ascended back to heaven to sit down at the right hand of God. And some day Jesus is returning for all those who believe on Him. All who call upon His name.
In a little under twelve miles, I got to tell Anna the Gospel. She had never ever before heard what I had said.
Before she got out of the car, I asked her about what I'd said and she said she'd think about it. I pulled the Bible Tract from my pocket, the one with the church information stamped on the back, and told her to read it. It would say all the things she would need to understand Jesus died for her. Before she closed the door, I told her I prayed for her and I would continue to pray for her.
I had started the day with tears in my eyes thinking everything was ruined. My opportunity to present the Gospel to a large group, with possibly several unsaved ladies in attendance, had collapsed into shambles. It had been a puff of a dream, something I thought I had conjured up that I wanted God to endorse. I thought I had gotten it so wrong.
Now I was crying for joy. There was nothing wrong! Everything was exactly right. It wasn't about my speaking at all. It was all about God answering my prayer to give the Gospel to Anna. The whole episode was just to present the Good News to Anna .
God had planned all of this.
I needed to go through 'Samaria' .
If the Activities Committee hadn't given me the opportunity to speak, I wouldn't have begun making the plans. If someone else had called the restaurant, I personally wouldn't have discovered the mess-up. If I hadn't gotten upset enough to try and right the mistake I'd made, I wouldn't have gone to the restaurant. If I hadn't wanted some church information to give to the restaurant manager, I wouldn't have discovered the Bible Tract in my pocket. If my sister hadn't offered me the exercise machine, I wouldn't have gone to see her that day. If my friend had gone with me to the restaurant, I wouldn't have gone to visit my sister at her office. If I hadn't invited all those women, there wouldn't have been the apology that gave me the opening I needed to start talking about Jesus to Anna.
Anna didn't accept Jesus that day.
I haven't seen Anna since but God has a handle on her because she heard the Gospel for the very first time in her life. God planned all along to answer my prayer but it was in His time.
Never stop praying. Never imagine an old request isn't remembered by God. An Outreach is any time you can tell someone about Jesus.
You can pray for Anna. She still has time to accept Jesus. Her husband too. My sister and her husband also.
*Anna is not her real name.
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