We were doing a local outreach to the community here when this older gentleman who had a few kids with him that really looked down and out came to get some food. His shirt didn’t look it had been washed since he got it with stains everywhere and ripped clothes. When I looked over at him he dropped his head and it looked like something was bringing him down to a point where he just didn’t care about life anymore.
So I walked over to talk to him to hear his story and just listen to what he had been through. He was baby sitting his daughters kids and was out for a stroll. We were giving out food so he stopped by and sat down to have a bit to eat. He was saying how his misses just left him, he was drinking and smoking everyday and life was just tough. He really didn’t know where to turn, so earlier that morning he thought to himself, “I really need to find a church”.
That is when God had answered his prayer and setup the situation where he would run into us and be invited to a loving church. He was invited to go to a Mormon church but said he couldn’t go because he didn’t have a suit to wear and felt really uncomfortable going. So I looked right into his blood shot eyes and said “Jesus doesn’t look at your outward appearance, He looks at your heart. You can come as you are to our church and we will still love you and accept you.”
He was blown away at this idea of Jesus meeting him right where he was at and that he didn’t have to clean himself up to follow Jesus. He asked me ” So I can come like this? He looked down and laughed because he was a mess!” I said “If you would like to, Yes”. Again with a big smile on his face he said then I will be there.
The following week, to be honest, I really didn’t expect him to show up. But as we were setting up the auditorium for the service I looked back and here he comes walking through the door. So I stopped what I was doing because I was so excited for this man and came back and had a nice chat with him. He told me that he had stopped smoking and drinking and started to read his bible. My jaw just dropped because of what God was doing in this man’s life.
So at the end of the service, I asked him how it went and if he learned more about God. He said yes and wanted to come back for the next weeks service also. It was amazing to see that he was loved by everybody within the church so much, that he really felt welcomed and not judged by his appearance.
The day before, somebody came up to me and gave me some spending money for my stay; and although it would have been nice to keep it, I felt God tugging on my heart to give it to him because he needed it more. So I simply asked him, how is your financial situation and are you working?
He said I can’t work because I lost my licence from drunk driving. So I looked at him and stuck a big bill in his hand and said “I believe God wants you to have this”. He looked at it and was really confused about why I would do this so I explained how God works through people to help one another when we are in need. This was a new concept for him but I am sure God used it to show how the body of Christ works together.
It has been 4 weeks now since his first day at church and yesterday he came up to me looking like a brand new man. Totally refreshed, had some nice casual clothes on with some new shoes and there was just something about him that was different. He was really happy and excited about what God was doing in his life. He said to me, ” I prayed that day that I would find a church and God answered my prayer.” I smiled and said “that isn’t a coincidence, that is God at work in your life.” He sat there and really thought about it and finally replied, “You are right, there are no coincidences, it is God at work.”
God is at work and can take a person like this man who was hopeless and at rock bottom, and change his life to be filled with Joy giving him new Hope and a new life in Jesus Christ. Only Jesus has the power to truly change lives, so I hope you will do the same and follow after Jesus.
