The Heart of Our Father

 

 It’s a journey, walking away from the old life of sin and into Gods will. 

It’s a miracle, the transition from death to eternal life. 

And it’s a testimony as the Father relentlessly pursues the hearts of His children bringing them back into His perfect will. 

 And what an honor it is to witness the Father rescuing those who have strayed. Using us to speak life into the hearts of His children. 

It’s amazing how with every salvation I’ve witnessed I’ve seen a new side of the Father as He tends to His children, healing the wounds caused by the enemy.

He meets them exactly where they are,

giving a new purpose to the ones who can no longer find a reason to wake up the next morning. He fills them with His perfect joy replacing the sadness that has been weighing on them for so long.

 I want to tell a story of how I seen anxiety and depression defeated and replaced with hope and a perfect peace from the Father…

 On Monday ministry looked a little different from what we have been used to. We went into town and split up in groups of three for ATL (ask the Lord) so basically what we do is we sit and pray and ask the Lord how He wants ministry to look like that day and then we allow Him to lead us around and make conversation with the people He leads us to or do prayer walks. 

So as we were walking down the sidewalk asking God which way we should turn I felt Him tell me to turn around and go back the way we came, 

And so as we changed direction walking back down the same street we had just walked this young woman passing by turned around and yelled “Hey! You look familiar do I know you?”

 We stopped and looked at each other knowing that since we had just arrived on Wednesday we knew there was no way she had seen us here in Eswatini so we walked over, introduced ourselves and told her we were from the U.S and we were here to spread the gospel, 

Her name was Tina (she was 22 years old) and she was so happy that we took the time to stop and talk to her she explained how she had  just recently moved to Manzini with her family. She told us how she  was having a tough day because she was on her way home from the pharmacy and had just found out that she wouldn’t be able to get the antidepressant and the anxiety medication she had been relying on for the past year. We asked her if she went to church and she explained how she grew up in a Christian family but felt that her life was to busy to make time for God and church. 

My teammate Cameron shared the gospel with her using the three circles method drawing it on a piece of paper and explaining how chasing after things of this world will always leave you feeling empty and broken. And how unless you repent from your sins and give your heart to Jesus you will never experience His divine plan for your life. 

She got all emotional saying she  had never seen it laid out in a way that made so much sense before and that she wanted to get back into Gods perfect will. She told us she felt that God sent us to her so that she would know that she wouldn’t need her medication anymore and asked if we would pray with her so that she could give her life fully to Christ!! 

 God is so good! He put us in the right place at the right time and showed Tina a new way, one full of Hope and a future! 

I was able to give her a Bible I had bought while in Johannesburg and she was so excited to read it. She kept saying she feels like this is a dream, that her heart feels so light and full of hope!

It was so beautiful to see just how much the Father loves every heart and a powerful reminder of how if we are willing, He will use us to bring His children home even in everyday situations. 

Keep your eyes and your heart open today, for you never know what part you play in the Fathers reckless pursuit of His children’s hearts!