While we were on the cruise, Cary and I read a lot. One day Cary was talking about his book and what he had read that day. It was about how Christians have to be constantly in tune with the Spirit in order to be the church to the world. We must be in constant contact and sensitive to what God is telling us to do. The next morning we had breakfast with a couple and they were telling us about their church. Four times a year they pass out T-shirts that say "I don't GO to church" on the front, and on the back "I AM the church" and they don't have Sunday service that day, but instead go out into their town wearing these T-shirts and visit in nursing homes, bag groceries, whatever...but they make an impression with their shirts being seen all over town. Just before the cruise a very dear, long time friend had given me a devotional book that she thought would be especially helpful to me right now. It is called "
Jesus Calling" and I have really enjoyed it. It is about being constantly aware of the Lord's presence in my life. Just kind of seemed to be a part of the theme going on in my life! After we had breakfast with this couple, we went to our chairs where we had left our books and towels during breakfast. My "Jesus Calling" was covered up very carefully with my towel. There was a deck attendant there, scrubbing the chairs and he was afraid he would get my book wet, so he had covered it up. He asked me if "that" was a Bible. I told him is wasn't, but that it was a devotional, something to read every day from the Bible. He said "I am a Christian!" Very boldly. I looked at his name tag,
Macton, from India. He told me "It is VERY hard to be a Christian in India", and I told him that I knew that it was. We chatted for a few minutes, with him telling me how homesick he was, how hard life is on the ship. Cary had left to go work out, so
Macton had only seen us together for a few minutes. He said "Being married and in love is very different from an arranged marriage", as he pointed to where he had only witnessed Cary and I together for a few minutes. He told me that he had been on the ship for 4 months, with 5 months left before going home for a break. I asked about his family, he told me he had no family but his wife. She had been VERY ill when he left this time, but the Lord had answered his prayers and she had been healed and was doing much better. I hope you are feeling what I was at this point...Christian in India, arranged marriage-no love, homesick, living for months on a boat...my heart was pretty heavy. I asked him if he would like to have my devotional book-knowing that I could
easily replace it in a few days. To that, he responded "Oh no, you NEED it!" Well, the Lord changed my definition of "need" several years ago and with that I felt like I had been hit in the stomach. I had boarded the ship a few days before with my FOUR books, Bible, devotional book, Bibles study books.... Somehow, I didn't feel much "need" of any kind, for anything. I said "Oh, NO, you NEED it and I want you to have it! He willingly took it then, asked my name and told me he would forever be praying for me in his prayers, and how grateful he was for the book. He came back three times that day to tell me the same thing again. I kept trying to read, but I could not concentrate for worrying about if he even owned a Bible or not. I didn't know how I could "fix" that if he didn't anyway. They don't have Christian bookstores on the ships and I've yet to see one at a port either. I stewed and worried. I finally realized that we have friends that will be on the same boat next week! So, I went to him and asked him if he owned a Bible. He DID! So, my little honeymooners won't be delivering a Bible to him, but they will be trying to at least meet him and encourage him just a bit! The next morning I saw him and as I walked up he said "Praise the Lord, I see you AGAIN!" I felt like I was a small part of the church that day. God had prepared my path and given me the opportunity to show His love to one of His own. The devotion for that day, (which I had already read twice that morning, before I gave it away) was about being sensitive to God's presence even in the little choices in life, the ones we sometimes have to make quickly, with little thought, and how He is as close as just a quick
glance in our choices.
Macton.
Since being here, he has accepted the Lord and has shown so much growth. It was a blessing to see him stacking the boxes that possibly could end up in his own country! Povilas is the very tall young man in the center of the picture. It was our last chapel with a student attending the school, but I'm not so sure it was really our last. It is such a part of our Christmas, and a wonderful blessing! We haven't gotten a final count yet, but we do know that our school collected over 700 boxes.
Since being here, he has accepted the Lord and has shown so much growth. It was a blessing to see him stacking the boxes that possibly could end up in his own country! Povilas is the very tall young man in the center of the picture. It was our last chapel with a student attending the school, but I'm not so sure it was really our last. It is such a part of our Christmas, and a wonderful blessing! We haven't gotten a final count yet, but we do know that our school collected over 700 boxes.
