This afternoon, I had the chance to meet with a siomai vendor when I was on a stop to wait for my turn in loading the hollowblocks that I purchased for a construction project that I am working with right now. It was on that waiting time where I took the opportunity to eat siomai and buy drinks to fill my hunger. Nothing special nor grand about it until something happened afterwards.
Such physical hunger created a "moment" which I believe is a divine providence to have an encounter with this man who sells siomai in the streets.
The man is named Kuya Ben. I came to him and observed that he was cleaning the surface of his cart and ask him to buy siomai and juice. On that moment, he began to strike a convo and eventually arrived to the point that he was so "makwento" telling about his experience back then selling siomai with his kuya, how much he earns, and his strategy on how he will sell his products faster. I was just nodding and replying short responses to his stories.
After several minutes, God impressed in my heart to minister to him. (In my mind, I was saying, Lord, gusto ko lang ienjoy yung siomai while I'm on my me-time but eventually God prevailed and yielded to His Spirit's leading).
I pulled a bill from my bag's purse and told him not to return the change as long as he will allow to give me a few minutes of his time to share something to him.
He was glad and grateful receiving it, he said yes, and became more attentive as I share the gospel to him.
Then, I started quoting famous verses about salvation (John 3:16, John 14:6 Romans 10:9, and after the salvation's prayer, John 1:12).
His countenance changed after I have led him to salvation's prayer and prayer of blessing upon his life. I just witness how God honored that as five people went to buy his siomai after I bought mine. He was also saying that I was his first customer that afternoon.
Actually, I'm not accustomed of posting things like this coz I find myself being contented not to make it being known to others as his Word encourages us as believers to let "your charitable deed be made in secret so that our heavenly Father who sees it in secret, may reward us openly."
I can recall a lot of numerous moments of leading people to Christ in the streets, in missions, and during disaster-related events that's worth writing but its my happiness that it is being made in obscurity always.
But this experience was so unique that it gave me some realizations that's so strong that I can't help but to share it to others especially in these challenging times.
It is this.
Do not underestimate the power of telling people that God loves them.
Big or small, it really matters.
It's so easy to tell that line with your close friends, your loved ones or the people you have a relationship with especially when you are in a convenient position to do so, you wanna assure a person's heart through those words or your church has an event that highlights that line (most of it are made during February but on my case for example, my church has a campaign which approximately runs for almost a month with that tagline and I am blessed that our church does this). Shoutout to New Life Main.
But what I'm saying is there's more aside from that. And how great it is to say and do it even in a state of inconvenience. You don't find little things to have opportunities. Little things are opportunities actually. Its just about how you will discern when and know the unction to move and follow the Spirit's leading to you.
What a privilege it is to be in the position of becoming God's vessel and his mouthpiece to tell a person that "God loves him".
And afterwards, demonstrating that reality by blessing him first with a gift that will be gone soon in his hands followed by a gift that is eternal that no one can take it away from him which is so unusual to happen in these challenging times.
How rewarding it is to see how a person's countenance is changed after that moment especially when you realize that a lost sheep was found again, that a person was transferred from darkness to light, that you know that a person is saved from the fiery furnace of hell and knows that he's assured going to heaven. That someone who's lost has been restored again back to life (I felt it when I saw his eyes become almost teary-eyed after praying to him).
To all the believers out there who reads this, I strongly encourage you to be available to become His vessel of propagating the love of God by offering ourselves to speak and deomonstrate God's love for the people. To find ways where it will be a perfect moment to have an encounter with God through our lives.
Never let the comforts of what we do or the excuses that we fabricate in our minds, or our own hesitations hinder us to bring the love that we have receive from God to the people who needs it. Treat it as something worth sharing to others. Whether you are at home or in your workplace or in whatever place you are, (in my case, in the streets) be a vessel of God's love.
And only by that, we can demonstrate the love of God that penetrates to the hearts of the people.
I learned afterwards that what I gave was almost 1/4 of what he actually earns everyday. But I told him what he has received today is more valuable to what he will earn this day. And we ended the conversation in Tagalog by saying it again to him, "You Are Loved...by God."
The world thinks that by giving something, you lose something. But by the heaven's standpoint, I have proven it once more that truly indeed, "it is blessed to give than to receive" .
Those moments are priceless. 😊
#loveisactivenotpassive #SoliDeoGloria
