Divine Appointment

It was Sunday, April 22, and I had just finished attending the Chinese church service and was in the process of moving my sore rear to another hard bench nearer to the front and sit through another service; an English service. Like a cow that has her favorite spot in the barn, I have my favorite spot in both the Chinese and English service. We are creatures of habit. The spot becomes comfortable and it seems that we like comfort.

I went to “my spot” just ahead of two college aged Chinese girls to sit down. As I did I started a conversation with them and learned that a believer had kind of tricked an unbeliever in coming to the English service under the belief that she would have a chance to talk to a foreigner and thus practice her English. It seems that God had appointed me to be that one she was to speak with.

As the conversation started, the person who brought the friend made it very clear that the friend was unsaved and that she needed to get saved and asked if I would help get the job done. I downgraded that introduction real fast and connected as a friend with some gentle questions to gain some information about her. I quickly learn that she was a seeker and wanted to talk, but wasn’t ready to make a decision. I felt God directing my comments and felt that she was ready.

The song time that morning was perfect for a seeker and so was the sermon. At the end of the sermon the African speaker, who spoke in English you could hardly understand and was translated into Chinese with difficulty asked for a raise of hands for those who wanted to accept Christ. She was one of five that morning. When they were asked to come forward, she was the first one up front.

At the end of the service the person who brought the friend told me that she thought I was there that morning by divine appointment. That God had brought me half way around the world to speak to her friend that morning and help prepare her for that church service. She was totally excited and so was I. It is a great experience to see the Father cause someone to be born again (1 Peter 1:3 NASB), especially when he uses you in the process.