O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of
God! How unsearchable are his judgments,
and his ways past tracing out! Romans
11:33 English Revised VersionThe most frequent question I am asked by Christians is about how I meet Muslims. Such inquirers are expecting to hear a fail proof strategy about where to go and what time, etc. Usually I respond, “I seldom plan or strategize.” Not that it is wrong because it is not. It just usually does not work for me. So, then they ask how it happens. “I don’t know,” is my usual reply. “God just puts me in the right place with the right person at the right time.” It is not about planning the right place or time. Maybe many Muslims will show up there. Rather it is more about one individual who is ready for an encounter and that might be in the most unexpected place at the most unpredictable time.
Three months ago I met “Distressed”, a Muslim lady, in an office waiting
room. She shared with me about her
daughter whom she was arranging to have smuggled out of Africa and into Europe
with the hope of getting reunited here. Human traffickers or smugglers have
their own clandestine maps and networks of moving people from point A to point
B and onward. It was a terrible situation for her daughter being held by
smugglers in the deserts of Libya. If
Distressed did not get the huge amount of money required by a certain
date her daughter would be killed and her kidneys harvested. I prayed for
Distressed in her dire state. Recently I called Distressed for the first time
to see how she was doing. She told me her daughter had called a few days
earlier that she had successfully arrived in Italy. The captain of her ship had
called for rescue and the migrants were rescued. Hundreds of migrants on other
ships crossing the Mediterranean Sea were not so fortunate. Many of them were thrown overboard and
drowned.
One day I decided to visit Distressed. She has not heard from her
daughter since that one phone call after she had arrived in Italy. The girl’s plan is to be taken to another
country in Europe by a “business man” who takes money to get people to another
destination. The mapping and network continues on. Distressed waits. As I visited Distressed
another daughter appeared. She was introduced
to me as “Victorious”. Instantly
a memory from 3 years ago flashed through my mind that perhaps this might be
the same girl who had contact with a young Christian lady whom I met visiting
my church. Sure enough! I couldn’t
believe it. She loves the Lord and told Victorious Bible stories and taught her songs. The memory of the Christian lady in this family’s hearts remains
alive. She actually laid groundwork
spiritually speaking. Human
traffickers have devious and clandestine mapping systems. At the same time our sovereign God also has
His own ingenious mapping and network
system of moving people from point A to point B and onward in order to find
Christ who is eternal Life. His ways are past tracing out.
Dear heavenly Father, You work in amazing ways which are clever,
life-giving, and ultimately redemptive. Praise Your matchless name! Amen.
