Encounters

God has an interesting way of teaching me things or rather, seeing His truths in action

Just in the past week, the sermon was on missions and the speaker highlighted the need to help the urban poor - those who live in the cities but are facing issues of poverty. This was among other areas of which we could involve ourselves in. Truly the mission field isn't only overseas, but it's everywhere. Right where we live, there are many who need help - physical and spiritual help.

Today I had the opportunity to help an elderly lady carry her large bag of things from where she was seated to board the bus at the interchange. It was just probably an encounter of about 10 minutes but it drove home the point of how if I take time out to open my eyes to those in need, there are many opportunities. My short conversation with this lady left me feeling rather happy yet puzzled. She talked about how she had 3 favourite words - faith, hope (positive, optimistic), can't recall which is the last one. But she also talked about planning and forgiveness. I was pleasantly surprised to hear her favourite words since they were very much linked to the Christian faith. I couldn't help but ask if she was a Christian but she said no. She also talked about proverbs and how in the Bible there is a book of wisdom (proverbs). I was intrigued at her comments especially coming from someone who isn't a Christian, so I asked her if she read the Bible but again she said no. But the values and principles she mentioned were so in line with the Bible I just couldn't help but wonder where her faith lies.

I pray that one day she will come to accept the faith and receive Jesus into her life. This encounter struck me because it was as though God helped me see the immediate application of His word in real life. It reminded me how there is so much to be done to help those in our society who are less privileged. It also reminded me not to rush through from place to place because many a times it is in my tendency to rush that I miss out on opportunities like these to just pause and chat.

It is interesting how the elderly lady just started the conversation about her favourite words. She probably just wanted a listening ear and a friend. And I'm glad I could do that, even though it was brief. I thank God for encounters like these that continue to propel me towards being a blessing to those around. I thank God for encounters like these that remind me to put my faith and love in action.