I was on my weekly trip from Strakonice to Plzen to Cheb. I pretty much have this journey "down"--where my train stops, which platform to go to, etc. Well, this time God through a little surprise in there for me--and I'm so glad He did! When I got on the first train, the ticket-checker guy started saying stuff to me in Czech--and I had absolutely no clue what he was saying. But, he kept walking by and I just made sure that I was constantly on guard for what was going on. I got to Plzen safely and went to my next train. Again, this time a woman, started telling me something in Czech. This time I could understand enough to know that I needed to get off the train, get on a bus, and then get back on the train. What I didn't understand was where exactly these events were supposed to take place. So, I sat there thinking to myself, "Should I just sit here and pretend like I know what is going on?" I was in a little room with 3 teenage-ish people and so I knew that at least one of them was bound to speak some English because they all learn it in school. So, after much debating in my mind, I went for it: "Do any of you speak English?" One of them replied (in Czech) that he understood a little bit, but not very much and didn't speak as much as he understood...I stopped him in the middle of his explanation and asked him one simple question: "What am I supposed to do?" :) I knew that the lady had told him that he was supposed to do the same thing as me, so I figured he could help me out. And he did! Praise the Lord. Well, that's only the beginning.
I followed my new friend (whose name I never learned) to the bus. We got on the bus and sat there in silence. We finally began talking (in his very broken english and my very broken Czech). He started asking me questions about what I was doing here (as most people do when they see an American hanging out in the Czech Republic in the middle of the year). So, I began to tell him what I'm doing here in Czech. "So, you believe in God?" he asked. "Yes, I do." He got a smirk on his face, "I don't." He was probably thinking the conversation would end there. But, I wanted to know more. So, I began to ask him more questions...about creation, purpose, morality, etc. He responded to nearly every question with either "I don't know" or "I never think about it." When our bus finally came to a stop, he was staying in that city and I had to get on the next train. At first, I was so incredibly discouraged. But, as I sat on the next train to Cheb, there are a few things I reflected upon:
1) I praised God for my salvation. I deserve to be just as confused and hopeless as this guy. There is no reason why God should look upon me with mercy, or show me my need for a Savior, or choose to call me from darkness to light. I thought of Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 4:3-6:
"And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God......For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
It became so much more clear to me in that moment, that if it weren't for God's light that shone in my heart, I would be walking in the same darkness. Praise God that He lifted the veil that was over my mind so that I could see Him!
2) There are those who plant, those who water, but only God causes growth. Paul reminded the church at Corinth that everyone involved in the "process" of making disciples are merely tools of God. We are just merely people who can help, but it's God who truly changes people. "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives growth." (1 Corinthians 3:6-7) I prayed then and continue to pray for this young man that there was some seed planted in his heart, no matter how small or big and that this seed would be watered by others who come into his life. I may never see him again, but I pray that there is someone who God will use to cultivate these thoughts and that more than anything, God would cause growth for He is the only One that can.
3) There will be some who simply will not believe. Sometimes in my mind, I get so excited and fired up and think that everyone will be saved. But, it's not true. There will be some who will reject Christ. I don't know who those people are, and I'm definitely not saying that I think this guy is one of them. But, his hardness of heart was a good reminder for me. I thought of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31. The rich man went to hell and begged and begged even for just a drop of water to quench his thirst. He begged to return to earth even for just a moment to warn his family that they didn't want to come to the place he was in. But, Abraham reminded him that they had Moses and the prophets and if they chose to not believe them, then they wouldn't even believe someone raised from the dead. There will be some who reject Christ and can't be convinced otherwise, no matter how many times they hear the Truth. And it's in realizations like these that we have to step back, cover our mouths, and say "God, your ways and thoughts are higher than mine and I simply have to trust that you are limitless in your grace, but also perfect in your justice."
4) God will accomplish His purposes on this earth. I come back to the promise of Habakkuk 2:14 often: "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." Even though at times, it feels so hopeless and it's so hard to see such a hardened heart, this promise will be fulfilled on this earth--and what a glorious day it will be!
So, there you have it! God ordains everything perfectly--even the trains we ride on! Praise God that He re-awakens longings and promises within our souls and that He uses fools like us to further His Kingdom on this earth. We are nothing, but He is the God who grows and I praise Him for that!
Rejoicing in the God of my salvation,
Emily
