Written by a Cafe 1040 Student
One night our team was praying in our apartment. We took a minute of silence to listen to whatever God was trying to tell us. I started feeling really convicted that I needed to share the gospel with my friend Samir. I had kind of written him off as uninterested. All he ever seemed to want to do is goof off.
After that I heard, "Be still and know that I am God" repeat over and over in my head. I read Psalm 46. "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
After reading the rest of that verse I had no doubt I needed to share.
A little while later the guys were going out for dinner and I was planning to stay home because I was super tired. This was the first time I had done so the whole trip. As they were walking out the door, Samir stopped in to say hey. We talked for a bit then I just started asking some questions about what he believed. Basically he felt that all religions were the same. They’re just a bunch of keys that unlocked the same door. I explained to him what Christians believed and what Jesus says about being the only way.
After that, for a long time I really don't remember anything. It feels like a blur. I just remember little snippets of explaining faith, my personal faith, and all it means to me. I really truly believe that the Holy Spirit took over in that time speaking for me. Just another example of how worthy God is for all the praise.
My next memory I was sitting next to him. He was sitting there saying he was speechless. It was hitting him hard. He asked for a glass of water. I got it, and he downed it. Then asked for another. Halfway through he stopped and said, "Man, this water is so cold and I've had two cups, but I'm still so thirsty."
I just laughed to myself. It felt like an "I gotchu bro" moment from God.
So I asked if he wanted to know why. "Yes,” he responded. We pulled out John 4 - the woman at the well. At verse 13: "Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'” Samir started to tear up and cry.
We talked more and he mentioned how much peace he felt. After such a long and stressful day at work, he couldn't imagine the peace he felt. He mentioned how he felt a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. So I told him about how Christ's sacrifice has the power to break chains and set us free from that weight of sin and death. He said, "Chains! oh man I've been having dreams about chains. That my feet are chained and I'm trying to run and that my wings are chained when I'm trying to fly." The conversation ended and he went home saying he never wanted to forget that night. Saying that he was going to go home and read the Bible that someone had given him years ago.
A few weeks later, he's still interested and reading and becoming good friends with one of our local friends that is already a believer. To me this story shows how much God is already working. He could lift up the rocks and stones to praise him if he wanted.
But He chooses to use us.
And we don't have to do anything special - literally just be willing to play T-ball when he tees it up for us. What a good and powerful Father. All the glory and praise to Him.
