By Claudia Koenig
My husband had an appointment at the hair salon. The building has clear, large windows through which you can see all the people and clients. There are benches and tables outside to sit and enjoy the day. Our Golden Retriever Star (of David) and I sat outside. As I started to work on my iPhone answering emails, Star settled in to wait for my husband.
A little girl walked out of the salon. A few minutes later, her mother joined her. The little girl approached me and asked if she could pet my dog. Star, of course, loves children and wagged her tail with excitement as the little girl began to pet and talk to her. The mother was having a conversation on her cell and walked a small distance from where we were. This gave the little girl some time to play with Star.
After the mother finished her cell phone call, she joined us. She is from another country, and we began to talk about her experiences in this country and the differences in cultures. We talked for some time, and I wondered why she was taking the time to be with me and talk.
Then it dawned on me, “Of course, she is still here because Jesus wants me to tell her about Him.” I asked her if she had ever heard about Jesus in her country. She explained that there the people are Catholic, but that they do not acknowledge God in a real way. She also revealed that she did not believe that one had to go to church to know God. She said that she had faith.
She began to talk about her past challenges, and how she learned about having faith. She revealed that her faith grew only as she was pressed to the end for answers to problems. I listened to find out if she knew Jesus. She also said, “I know that when you are happy in your heart, the devil will try to come take it away; that is why I don’t give in.”
I asked her, “Do you know who has given you that faith?” She smiled and stumbled at her answer and said, “Jesus?” I knew that she said this because I had mentioned His name. I said, “This is why we have met. It is because God wants you to know Him.” I explained, “Listen, it is true that you do not have to go to a church to know God. But, let me tell you, it doesn’t matter how much faith you have or what you believe if you do not know Jesus. And you must think about where you are going when your time is up.” That got her attention.
She listened intently, looking straight into my eyes. I continued. “You must decide while you’re alive where you want to spend eternity. Would you like to do that?”
I told her that she must believe in Jesus as the Son of God and know that He is the only way to heaven. I explained about praying and asking Him to be her Savior. Then we started praying. She received Jesus as her Savior. She smiled with assurance. We talked about the Bible and reading it and knowing that it is God’s living Word. I told her that through the Word, she would hear her Savior of her soul. She then said that her mother had always talked to her and asked her about this. I thought that perhaps it was her mother who had been talking to her about Jesus and the enemy and had been witnessing to her. Now her mother’s labor and prayer for her daughter’s soul had borne fruit for her soul!
I then looked at her little eight-year-old girl who had been listening to every word. I asked the girl, “Well, what about you? Would you like to believe in Jesus as your Savior?” She looked very seriously into my eyes and said, “Yes, I would.” I asked her if she was ready to pray, and she replied that she was. We prayed, and she sweetly received Jesus as her Savior!
“Abba Father, how You send us into the harvest of souls, even when we do not even know it!”
“Jesus, great and powerful is Your name! At the mention of it, You assure a soul of You for salvation so that one may be with You in Heaven!”
“Holy Spirit, thank You for putting in my heart that you brought this woman and child to where I was sitting because their souls had been labored for, and they were ripe for harvest!”
I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. John 4:38
Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. John 6:27
Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Luke 10:2
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58
All scripture is KJV.