strangers
Because i was asked to post by cherish and jovial (please refer to tagboard haha) i'm finally here. :)
Anyway, I'm here to share a little testimony on what happened to me last week and I hope it'd encourage all of you to ask God for answers to the smallest things. Because God's not only interested in the huge major parts of your life like your relationships, your finances, your studies... He's into ALL of you. And that includes the tiny little parts as well. :)
And I also know that sometimes we, well I know on my part I do, don't really expect a straight answer from Him when we ask a question. Especially if it's a small problem. But you know what? Have faith because my Bible tells me that ask and you shall receive. :)
About a week ago, I was walking home from uni and this was at the end of a morning that saw at least one person turn a frown on me in response to a small smile or simple statements that I said. And for some reason, previous similiar or worse incidents before this started to arise in my mind and before I knew it I found myself telling God: Lord, I think I have a bit of issue of saying the wrong thing and so I say nothing at all. And with such a fear, how will I ever expect to connect with people You'd bring in contact with me so that I can contribute to a change in their life?
I must admit, when I asked the question, I never really expected an answer because of my gloomy state of mind and also because right after that, there was neither a big booming voice from heaven nor a still small voice in my heart, telling me what to do.
Which was why I was considerably taken aback when God did answer my question later in the day; neither speaking directly to me nor speaking through someone I knew, but indirectly through a stranger.
After lunch in the city, I was walking home when I noticed a shop selling bags which I have not been to ever since the beginning of last year with my mum. I remembered that the bag that I usually used to carry my Bible was a bit spoilt and that I had meant to replace it. The shop was having a 1/2 price sale so I decided that there was no harm in checking out.
So I went into the shop and while I was browsing through the bags on the shelves, the shopkeeper suddenly materialized next to me and started asking me questions.
Him: Hello! Looking for a bag today?
Me: Yeap. :)
Him: Oh that's great. Hmm.. are you a student here?
Me: Yeap, that's right.
Him: International?
Me: Yeap.
Him: I see... and where do you come from?
Me: Malaysia.
Him: Oh really? What part do you come from?
Me: Oh. Uhm... I'm not from the Peninsular. I'm from this place called Sarawak... a city called Kuching.
Him: Kuching! I know Kuching! I used to have this worker from Kuching.
Me: Oh really? How nice :)
And as I stood there smiling at him, he started telling me about how he loved this worker of his from my hometown and I watched his eyes light up as he told me of her many brilliant qualities... and then he suddenly went silent and sighed.
Suddenly, before I knew it, here was this man, whom I have never even met and whose name I do not even know, telling me of all his troubles because of this worker. Of how she went back to Kuching, lost her passport, how she has kids that are trapped in no man's land, how he's trying to get the Australian government to regrant the passport, how hard it is to do so, of how he's fighting to get her kids a decent education ... everything.
At this point, another customer came in and he went off to serve them. I stepped out of the shop for a moment to look at the bags outside and the moment I stepped back in, the shopkeeper immediately made a beeline for me and said: I thought you left without saying goodbye! If you had, I'd have been really sad because I really enjoyed talking to you.
When I finally left the shop, he pushed a business card into my hand and made me promise to drop by his shop everytime I was near it so that he could have a chat. He assured me: It's been really lovely talking to you. You're such a nice person.
And as I walked home, I thought that it was nice that I could have made such a difference to a stranger who obviously needed someone to listen to him talk. And I managed to do that.
It was then I felt God tell me: Remember your question just now? About how were you going to connect with people who are brought into contact with you when you don't even know what to say? Well, here's your answer first-hand. Sometimes, you don't even need to say anything but just listen. Sometimes all people really need is for someone to listen.
So yeah, I just want to encourage you guys that God always answers you, even if it isn't immediately or through an expected channel. What becomes the issue is that: Do you even ask at all?
