I was listening to a speaker from New York who had experienced phenomenal growth in his church. He was telling the congregation some of the background of the church and how it came to be. At the end of his sharing he invited anyone that had a question to come to the front.
As she was reading her Bible, she had a clear impression from the Lord that He wanted her to ask the man if she could brush his hair. She more or less began arguing with God. "Oh,no, God, please no!" But she ended up brushing this old man's hair. Beth said she knew it sounded strange, but as she was brushing his hair she felt a kind of love that she had never felt for another soul in her life. She said that the emotions were so strong and so pure it was like God had completely overtaken her heart for those few minutes. Like "renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while."
It turned out that the old man was on his way to see his wife that had been too ill to come to the hospital where he had open heart surgery. He had not seen her in months. God saw his tangled and matted hair and whispered to Beth, "I want you to brush his hair."
There were several people, including me, that came forward. The question I asked was how I could overcome fear in witnessing to others about Jesus. The speaker looked right into my eyes and said, "The question is not about fear. The question is, "Do you love enough?"
Immediately, like a flashback, I remembered a wreck that our family had on the freeway when moving from LA to TX. A truck did not stop at the Stop sign and side swiped our car. The breath was knocked out of our youngest son. I don't remember how we got him out of the car but we had him lying on the ground next to the pavement. Not knowing how serious his injuries might be, I dropped to my knees and began to pray. People were beginning to gather around us but I could care less what they thought of me on my knees praying. My only thought was the love and concern for my child.
The question, "Do you love enough?" is still one to be answered. Regardless of our age there is always an element of fear when stepping out in faith to witness or to be obedient to God's call for whatever it might be.
Christian author, Beth Moore, told about an experience she had in a Knoxville, Airport. She was waiting to board the plane, had her Bible in her lap, and noticed this old man humped over in a wheelchair that was "skin and bones." He had "stringy gray hair" that was long and hung well over his shoulders.
As she was reading her Bible, she had a clear impression from the Lord that He wanted her to ask the man if she could brush his hair. She more or less began arguing with God. "Oh,no, God, please no!" But she ended up brushing this old man's hair. Beth said she knew it sounded strange, but as she was brushing his hair she felt a kind of love that she had never felt for another soul in her life. She said that the emotions were so strong and so pure it was like God had completely overtaken her heart for those few minutes. Like "renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while."
It turned out that the old man was on his way to see his wife that had been too ill to come to the hospital where he had open heart surgery. He had not seen her in months. God saw his tangled and matted hair and whispered to Beth, "I want you to brush his hair."
I'm so glad that Beth "loved enough!" God wants to love through each one of us in helping others. Our obedience will bring joy and satisfaction in return. How many opportunities and blessings do we miss because of fear of what people might think or by not loving enough.
"Heavenly Father, I come to you and pray that you will fill me with your love and that your perfect love will cast out my fears so that I can say, "Yes, Lord," in complete obedience to your will."
"My heart, my life, my all I bring to Christ Who loves me so.
He is my Master, Lord, and King; wherever He leads, I'll go."
"Wherever He leads, I'll go. Wherever He leads, I'll go;
I'll follow my Christ Who loves me so,
Wherever He leads, I'll go."
Philip Carter
