God Sees You

One benefit to having an American accent in a new country is that it usually starts a conversation about what brought us to South Africa and we then get to share our testimony.

As we told our server Jean-Marie at the coffee shop this past weekend about how we felt God led us to move to South Africa, she shared that her family had moved here a few years earlier on faith as well, believing this is where God wanted her and her family to be.

She then continued to share how it’s been some of the toughest years of their lives since they moved as they’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices.  Despite being obedient and following God’s leading, their lives had actually gotten more challenging and difficult rather than easier.

What struck me the most and really inspired me though was that she shared this story from a place of faith and trust that God was still good and still faithful in the midst of all the pain they had experienced.

We asked her if we could pray for her and she excitedly accepted and asked if we could pray for her outside.  What she shared after we walked outside was so powerful…

“For the last 3 months, it’s been so hard and I’ve been literally crying out to God.  Nobody in the church would pray for me during this time and it’s hurt me so much.

Earlier this week as I was crying to my husband and expressing this hurt, he felt like the Lord was saying that someone would come into my work and pray for me.”

I really had to hold back the tears as she shared this story with us, realizing that God had sent us there at that specific point in time to pray for her, when she would really know that it was God answering her prayer.

I encouraged her that this was God’s way of showing her and reminding her that He sees her, that He is with her, and that He loves her so much.

I’m continually in awe at beautiful moments like these where God gives us a glimpse of His love for us.

Don’t miss an opportunity to encourage someone or pray for them.  You really never know how badly someone may need it unless you take the time to stop and truly ask them how they are doing.