Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Evangelism (11/01/07)
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TITLE: Two Kind Acts | Previous Challenge Entry
By Patricia Todd
11/02/07 -
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The first is a true story told to me many years ago by my university chaplain. It concerned a young Russian girl. We will call her Katya. She lived in a small town with her parents and she and her family were Christians.
One day Katya's mother was arrested and taken away by the police for being a Christian. Months went by and Katya and her father did not know for certain what had happened to her mother. They thought she might be in a labour camp but they weren't sure if she was still actually alive.
Eventually it was Katya's mother's birthday. Every year she gave her mother flowers for her birthday and she was upset she couldn't do that this year. Then she had an idea. She shared it with her father and he agreed to help her. She bought some flowers, the most beautiful she could afford, and she and her father set off.
They went to see the head of the local police who had been responsible for her mother's arrest. Understandably he was surprised to see them. Katya explained to him that it was her mother's birthday. “I always give her flowers”, she said, “but this year I can't give them to her so I'd like to give them to you to give to the mother of your children.”
The head of the police was so moved by Katya's act of love and courage that he committed his life to Christ.
The second story is much closer to home. My father once told me of a simple act of kindness that he never forgot. It was about 1964 and he had been admitted to hospital for surgery. He had been finding life very difficult for some time and had stopped attending church.
While he was in hospital the new local minister came to visit him. My father had actually just been told that he could go home but he didn't have any clothes at the hospital. The minister said, “If you like I could go and get your clothes and take you home.” My father was overjoyed.
The minister drove the nine miles to my father's home to get the clothes, then drove all the way back and finally took him home. This simple act of kindness spoke louder than any words and my father was so overwhelmed that he started attending church again. His faith was renewed.
Two kind acts, one very courageous and one quite ordinary, yet each effective in its own way. Not all of us may be called to be great evangelists; we may not consider ourselves to be preachers or teachers, but we can all strive to let our actions show God's love to others and trust His Holy Spirit to do the rest.
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