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I’d like you to meet my new friend. I don’t remember his name, but I will never
forget his story. He is around 90 years
old, although he doesn't know exactly.
He lives in a rural village in India with his daughter and
her family and his son and his family. (He calls them his children, although we
suspect they are actually his grandchildren.)
They live in a house that is smaller than a lot of master bathrooms in
the US. They have so little, yet they
have more than most people on earth.
They have love. Here is his
story.
His village sits along a railroad track. Back in 1952, as he was waiting at the tracks
for a train to pass, a book fell off the train at his feet. He picked it up and looked at it. The book was written in his mother tongue, so
he took it home with him and began to read it.
As he read the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, he became curious
and had lots of questions. So, he began
walking to church every Sunday to seek answers and to worship. Walked 12 miles (4 hours) one-way.
Rain or shine.
He began teaching his children, a son and a daughter. Fast-forward 60 something years. His children taught their children. And so on.
He became so old, that he couldn’t walk to church
anymore. He quit going, but he never stopped
worshipping.
When we met him, he told us that he has a piece of land in
the village that he wants to donate to build a church. His granddaughter said, “There are all these
other temples and worship areas here. We
want a place to worship Jesus!”
I have no doubt there will be a church there at some
point. It’s God’s timing, not ours. God planted the seed 60 years ago and has watched this man's faith grow! How pleased He must be!
I am truly humbled by my new friend. Ashamed, really. They have so little, yet they have everything! They have true love.
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| "And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on." Luke 21:1-4 |
