A few years back, I shared about a missionary in Africa who prayed for a blind woman and Jesus healed her eyes. Well, here’s another testimony from her that I wanted to share again, one that I absolutely loved!
This missionary told how she had guest visiting her in Africa: A Pastor and his father, from a church in New York City.
She invited them, along with some older orphan children that lived with her, to take a boat ride down a river. The goal was to find a remote Christian village that she wanted to revisit after a long absence.
They traveled quite a distance down the winding river and eventually pulled up close to a muddy bank which she thought might be near the location of this village.
The pastor looked around at the deserted landscape and asked, “But how will we know when we have found the Christians?”
She smiled. “I think we’re near. Don’t worry, we’ll know.”
Gingerly, she and the children jumped into the water and began to make their way closer to shore. She glanced back to see the men just staring at her not quite sure what to do.
Remembering her manners, she returned to the larger boat and retrieved a small dingie and her guest and approached the shoreline.
They abandoned the boat and proceeded on foot.
The mud along the bank was wide and deep and hot from the African sun. As she and the children plodded along for a good distance, she glanced back again and saw the men struggling behind. She waited for them to catch up. A little exasperated, the Pastor repeated himself, “But HOW will we KNOW when we’ve found the Christians?”
Again, she smiled and reassured him. “It’s okay. We’ll know.”
They walked some more in the thick mud when suddenly they spotted a woman approaching them in the distance. She was small and carried a huge pot on her shoulder.
The missionary called out a greeting to the women who in return replied, “Helloooo, can I wash your feet?
With a wide grin on her face the missionary turned back to the pastor and his father and announced triumphantly, “Ah! We have FOUND the Christians!!”
This left me grinning from ear to ear!!
You know, when I started really seeking intimacy with the Lord, one of the first things He instructed me to do was to quit trying to “fix” myself. He led me to the book of Ephesians, where I ended up spending about a year primarily studying and meditating on just those six chapters.
My faith became effectual by the acknowledgment of every good thing in me.
This is where I began to see Christ in me. From there I started absorbing my newborn again identity in Jesus throughout the New Testament.
I had never heard anything like this growing up. Yet, here it was, right in these pages and I knew it was truth because the Holy Spirit within me was bearing witness the whole time.
One morning, while on my way to work I was thinking about this amazing revelation that God lived on the inside of me in my newborn again spirit. Wow! My body is carrying the Spirit of God inside!
And suddenly, I began to have some fear creep in.
The magnitude of this truth was overwhelming. How did and do Christians handle this revelation? And I asked the Lord Jesus, “But HOW did you do it? How did you act among people? How did you keep yourself from becoming puffed up or prideful?”
“Because Jesus was tempted in all points just like we are, yet without sin.”
Then Jesus showed me a vision of Him. The King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Son of God, God in the flesh, bending down and washing the disciples’ feet.
I cried. Then I laughed. The I cried some more:)
Of course, it’s so simple! It’s not about us. It’s all about Him and what He has done. He is manifested through us who have been reborn out of a pure unselfish Love! It is an attitude of gratitude (not servitude) that compels us.
When we begin reading the Bible and experiencing Jesus’ love for us, we can’t help but get excited about this great love. It floods our hearts to overflowing!
When you serve someone a cup of coffee, or wash their dishes, or give them a ride to the store, or put up their grocery cart, pay for their meal, mow their lawn. Or lay a piece of fruit on their desk.
Or love them unconditionally because of Jesus flowing in you.
You’re washing their feet.
“Ah, we have found the Christians..who “do not love our own lives to the death.” Rev. 12:11
“Man judges the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.” 2 Samuel 16:7
P.S. I did not want to print the missionary’s name without her permission but if you would like to hear her testimonies for you’ self, please email me and I will be glad to share her information with you.
