How do you respond when your Internet goes out? I know from experience that it can be a very frustrating time – it’s amazing how being connected that way is so important to many of us. One family that we minister to had their Internet go out recently, and although they admitted there was some frustration at first, they then decided to use the time and lack of distractions to connect to one another and to God. For the first time ever, they had an impromptu family Bible study. Now they are talking about inviting their neighbors on either side to be a part – even when they have the Internet up and running.
Walking around the house praying together during one of these Bible studies brought two young men closer together. They had spent time praying together in the past, but this time they experienced something much deeper – they connected to God and one another. The result was they spent time repenting of sins and supporting one another. A few days later one of them nearly got in a fight. He came into the service a little late noticeably frustrated and angry. “What’s up, man?” the other asked. After sharing the details, the friend challenged, “Have you repented, bro?”
What happened next took the beauty of this exchange even further. Two guys coming together in prayer. The words were crystal clear and pierced the darkness and pain of the situation. As an observer, I watched as the Holy Spirit ministered through these guys. “Yes!” my spirit yelled inside. This is our mission: to bring the lost to Jesus, to create community that would transform other communities.
“My veins were burning with anger, but as soon as you said, ‘Amen’ it all immediately disappeared,” shared the one young man to the other. These two guys, as different from one another as they come, gave each other a hug. God is doing the work. Transformation is a process. God is connecting people to Himself, and He delights to use these broken vessels.
Chad Wolyn is a World Impact missionary serving in Los Angeles, CA.
