Sample devotional from
Faith Builders from Around the World
Collected and Edited by Beverly Caruso
Our outreach team had just finished performing a drama at the coffee house in downtown Brussels, when a girl on staff asked if I would witness to the young man in the corner. He obviously lived on the streets. I was happy to have the opportunity to share with him–until I got close enough to smell the foul air that hung about him.
I watched in disbelief as he lowered his face to the cup and lapped up his tea. Just like an animal, I thought.
It didn’t surprise me to learn that he had grown up on the streets as an orphan and only recently was released from jail. I was surprised, however, when he steered the conversation toward the topic of Christianity then became increasingly antagonistic with his questions.
I found myself wanting to end the conversation because he seemed to be intentionally trying to provoke me. I was fully conscious of the foul odor emanating from the man when I prayed, “Lord, I really want to love the man, but I don’t have it within me. Please help me to communicate Your love to him.”
Suddenly, without warning His eyes got watery. I stared at him in silence, wondering where all the belligerence had gone. The tears became sobs. Finally, slowly, he said, “I want to pray with you to become a Christian.”
After the prayer he turned to hug me. I held my breath as he latched onto me; I tried to hide my revulsion.
I knew I should hug him back; that only with God’s strength could I demonstrate acceptance, much less love. He was so unlovable.
“Help me, Lord, I prayed.” He did.
After that prayer I had difficultly returning his hug because of his foul odor. By God’s strength I was enabled to share God’s love with him.
Now I believed God wanted me to show the man our Father’s love in a practical way. But how? Then I noticed again the tattered sweater he was wearing. My wardrobe had to last through the end of our outreach, but I decided to give him the sweater I was wearing. It was my favorite.
I pulled the sweater over my head, carefully folded it like new and presented it as a gift. “I’m giving this to you in the name of Jesus. I want you to know that God loves you and so do I.”
His face beamed as he took off his sweater, folded it and presented it to me as a gift. He put my sweater on and motioned for me to put his on. I thanked him but poliltely held his smelly, holey sweater on my lap. Another gesture indicated I should put on his. After another silent request for God to grant me love for this man, I put on the sweater.
Nothing needed to be said when we returned to the main room of the coffee bar. Our team had been together every day for many weeks; we all knew every item of one anothers’ clothing. One glance our way and our new brother was soon wrapped in arms of love, welcoming him into God’s big family.
As I walked home that night I felt the cold wind slip through the holes of my new, smelly sweater. I was warmed, though, by a new awareness: Whatever the sacrifice, nothing can compare with the joy of serving God. In some far-out way, giving him my sweater sealed this man’s place in God’s family. It was like God was symbolically putting His robe of righteousness on him.
—
David Caruso, an American, works for Christ within the film industry in Hollywood, California.
Excerpted from Faith Builders from Around the World, YWAM Publishing.
© Beverly Caruso, senior editor