Yesterday at church they had this young guy, maybe 16ish-years-old, share his story. And ya’ll, I couldn’t stop crying!
The kid was from Nepal. He and his brother came to the U.S. a couple of years ago to “find a better life.” So he started school. And one day he came home to find that his brother had packed up everything and left him. Alone. In another country. Without any family. A 16-year-old boy.
“Coincidentally” he attends a local school, mainly for refugees, that many of our church members have partnered with as tutors. And “coincidentally” he shared his story with one lady from our church. She shared it with her husband. They prayed. The rest of their family prayed. And God led them to open their home to this Hindu, refugee, abandoned teenager who now lives with them.
Ya’ll.
Since then he has given his life to follow Jesus, and yesterday, before thousands of Americans, he shared with his Nepali accent and a huge smile how he loved his Lord and was growing everyday in his relationship with Him. Then the pastor baptized him — him emerging from the water with the biggest grin and wildest hair.
It was the most beautiful thing I had seen in a while.
I think what got to me was the innocence. The freedom from church baggage or any preconceived ideas as to what Christianity meant. It was just this boy who has met his Savior and now he loves Him with sweet abandon. Thinking about it tears me up all over again. Maybe because that’s the heartbeat of where God has had me recently.
A few weeks back, God led me to set aside everything “churchy” and just walk with Jesus for awhile. To hear His words and see what He did, free from tradition or expectation.
About halfway through that journey, Katie Orr (friend and co-author of Savoring Living Water) contacted me about what we should write for our next HelloMornings* Bible study. Almost immediately I knew. We should develop a study that would lead the reader to meet Jesus. She completely agreed. So we’re calling the study “Meet Jesus.”
There comes a time when we need to set all the churchy stuff down and simply get alone with our Lord. To see Him. And hear Him. And love Him for who He is.
That’s what filled that young boy yesterday with so much joy. Jesus. Just Jesus.
* HelloMornings is a 13-week challenge to maximize our mornings, via online accountability groups. The summer session is now open for FREE registration through Friday, May 3rd. Everyone who registers will receive a FREE copy of “Meet Jesus.” Click here to find out more and/or to register.
Fill me, Lord…
How does seeing pure, excited, young faith challenge or affect you?
Thanks Laura. I too am I’m a season of disdisentangling myself from “all things churchy”. I realized that my relationships through church had begun to be more important to me than my relationship with Jesus. It has been a strange time. But He is so faithful!
“Disentangling” — that can be so difficult at times. Praying we have eyes to see Jesus, and not any falsities we’ve grown to believe simply because of tradition. Thanks for sharing!
Love this story, and I can’t wait to dig into Meet Jesus….so freeing for me to just forget about the earthly, churchy things and run to Him. Thanks to you and Katie for providing HelloMornings with such great resources!
I can’t wait either. 🙂
i love this story. yeah.