Some of the most entertaining times I’ve had were times when I was privileged to sit around a dining room table, after church or a prayer meeting, with a group missionaries and listen to them trade stories of their adventures and misadventures. I’ve never laughed so much for so long and with such joy as during those times. Let me tell you a true story that happened to a missionary friend of mines, Davie Smoot.
During the very early days after Russia withdrew from Romania David was asked to come and preach with a Romanian preach, Pastor Paul, that he’d been in contact with. David took the train from Budapest to Cluj-Napoca, Romania, population 400,000.
Pastor Paul was going to meet David at the train station, but somehow, their wires were crossed and when David arrived no one was there to meet him. He couldn’t call anyone because he didn’t have a phone number. He couldn’t go anywhere because he didn’t have an address. And, he was hard pressed for help because few people spoke English. And, if you’re old enough to remember, America was considered an enemy by Romanians. David was in a pickle, so he sat down on his suitcase and prayed, “Lord, you brought me here so now I need some help.”
David sat there for a few minutes and all of a sudden Bob Beer, possibly the only other person in Romania David knew walked up to him and asked him what he was doing there.
Bob is an Englishman that had lived in Romania with his wife and kids for many years. Anyway, David said, “I guess I was waiting for you.” Bob just “happened” to be at the train station to send off someone (I don’t remember who). So, he was not there to meet David, but all was well.
So, the only person, other than Pastor Paul, in all of Romania just happened to be at the train station at the time David needed help. That’s the God we serve. And God will do the same for you. He is an expert at rescue operations. I can personally attest to that. Maybe, someday, I’ll tell you about the time I was in a car rolling backward down a mountain with a telephone poll tied to the roof of the car. Great fun!
Being a Christian is the most wonderful, joyful, and fulfilling life anyone can have. And, yes, there are also fun times. The most fun I’ve ever had was when I was in the direst of circumstances, God comes in, in the most unexpected way, and rescues me.
Jeremiah 20:13:
Sing to the Lord!
Give praise to the Lord!
He rescues the life of the needy
from the hands of the wicked.
Photo by Aman Shrivastava on Unsplash