Big Opportunities!

Hello all!

So God provided me with an amazing opportunity yesterday. A friend of mine whom I haven't seen in a few months randomly sends me a message via facebook chat. She asked, "How do you know if you are a good person?"

I told her that my belief/opinion on that is probably quite different from most people's because I was a Christian and she said she really wanted to hear what I thought. WOW! What an opportunity to share God's message with someone who doesn't know Him!!! I told her that no one is good. We are constantly battling between what is right (our soul that God created us with) and what is wrong (our sinful nature). As human beings we are constantly causing others pain as well as hurting ourselves in this life. But the neat part is that because of Christ's sacrifice for us, we are redeemed and made "good" in God's eyes. She said that she really like that response to her question and that she's just gone through a rough break up/ having lots of family issues. I invited her to come over to my apartment later that night. One of my good guy friends just went through a rough break up and I had already invited him over to watch a movie, so I thought it would be a fun evening for all.

They both got to my place around 10pm and we watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Bronnie and I are fans and my other friend Neal has not seen the movies or read the books. But we all had a good time and Neal left around 2am (this is REALLY late! Even for me!) but Bronnie stayed for a while more. I asked her what else was going on in her life and she opened up and shared a great deal with me. But in short she left around 4:30am! We spent 2 hours talking about how much God loves her and how He has a plan for her, wants to help her, and desperately wants her to talk with Him. I read her some Psalms...Psalm #4, #8, and #37. I read her the parable of the lillies of the field and the birds of the air/ about worrying. In short, it was a WONDERFUL night, well morning in this case. We prayed together. I started and prayed for her, her family, and even her recently ex-boyfriend because it sounded like he was struggling with things too. She looked at me after I finished and kept saying, "I don't know what I should say." I just told her that God is always here, just like I am with her and he hears us always. We don't have to have an elegant speach, just to talk to him like you do with your friends. And I told her, if you are mad at Him tell Him, and it's not wrong to be upset, but just know that He is in control and that he will always rescue you. She started crying and prayed to her heavenly Father. She asked Him to help her, her family and her ex. It was an amazing night. I loaned her my book Captivating by Staci and John Eldridge and I gave her my tiny Gideon Bible with New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. I hope that the book Captivating will help her better understand how God fashioned her heart and how men and women were intended to work together.

Today I got a text from her saying that she felt MUCH better, a little sad, but better. What an amazing gift God gave to me in seeing His work bear fruit! We do not always get to see the growth of the seeds we plant...it's all in God's time....but what an incredible moment when He allows us to see that seed take root, grow, and bear fruit! I continue to pray for my friends who "don't believe in God" or just haven't taken the time to get to know Him yet. I try to live my life in a God serving/pleasing way and it's been in my experience that actions speak louder than words. People see that you are different and they know that they can come to you with their troubles because there is a peace that surrounds you. God's peace that surpasses all understanding is something that believers and non believers alike crave in this world. There is nothing else like it. The believers know that it is through God that you receive this peace, and it is up to us as believers to share that truth with the non believers.

I'm off to read my Psalm for the day and celebrate God's wonderful opportunities!!!