Shock to the heart.............

This past weekend Jeff and I were invited to do a Missions Conference with an IMB (International Mission Board) member. His name was Randy Newbury and he was very interesting. He worked in the field in Brazil for 15 years as a missionairy.

He shared lots of cool facts and stories that you never hear anywhere else. I wanted to share this story with you. (Some of the details are left out because these particular missionairies were serving in a hostile country where missionairies are not allowed.)

This family of missionairies are driving one day and pull into a gas station to fill up before a long drive. When they pull in they notice a man standing next to a pump. The man is holding an automatic weapon and is wearing what looks like a soldiers uniform. There is no car that might belong to him in sight. The man is standing at attention, which is strange, especially since he is alone.

The family fills up with gas and drives away. As they are leaving the wife says to her husband "I really feel like God is telling me that we are supposed to stop and tell that man that God loves him." The husband smirks since this is an offense punishable by death in this county. He tells her "Did you see that gun? Not a chance".

They continue down the road for a few miles before the woman approaches the subject again. "I just really think God is telling us to go back and talk with him" she tells her husband. " No, we have our kids with us, it is not safe; we aren't going back" he tells her again.

Finally the woman prays out loud saying "God, I ask you to put the blood of that man on my husbands hands instead of mine because I wanted to go back and he wouldn't." Talk about a guilt trip! So finally the husband gives in and turns the car around. He agrees to talk to the man if he is still at the gas station.

As the couple pulls back into the station, they see the man still standing at attention, eyes fixed in the distance. The husband musters up his courage and gets out of the car. He walks up to the man and hesitantly says "Sir, forgive me if I offend you but I feel that the God that I serve has asked me to tell you that He loves you." The man who is dressed like a soldier puts his head down, as if to ignore the man. Then something strange happened. He looked up into the missionairies eyes and said, "Two days ago I cried out and asked the One True God to reveal Himself to me. I heard him speak to my heart and tell me that if I would come to this exact place on this day and wait, He would send His messenger here to tell me about Him. Are you that man?"

That story sent a jolt through my heart. I had goose bumps. I wondered how many oppertunities I had ignored to be the answer to prayer. What if that family hadn't gone back? What if the next time God asks me to do something that is scary, I chicken out? Will I be brave enough to respond?