|
|
|
faces
as we made our way down the crowded streets. Even at twilight,
there was scant relief from the extreme heat of the day.
At a small, brightly lit park,
we paused to enjoy the mix of people milling about the square-families
with eager, energetic children; young couples strolling arm
in arm; the occasional group of teenage friends.
After
a few minutes, we noticed two girls intently observing us
from a distance, so we went over and said hello. One of the
girls was Dana, a waitress at a nearby coffee shop.
"Are
you Christians?" Dana asked. When we said yes, she broke
into a broad smile. "I have been a Christian for some
years," she explained, "but I don’t know much about
Jesus or faith in Him. I’d like to learn more about God and
His meaning for my life."
For
months after I returned home, Dana and I corresponded. I sent
her Bible lessons and other reading material, and she responded
enthusiastically. Even after she moved to another city, we
kept in touch. I loved her sincerity and eagerness to learn,
as much as she seemed to appreciate my friendship.
Then,
after writing each other for nearly a year, for no apparent
reason she stopped answering my letters. The mail having been
our sole means of communication, I could only assure myself
after months of not hearing from her that Dana was in the
hands of One who would never leave or fail her.
Still,
from time to time I would get the same urgent thought. Write
Dana a letter.
Each
time I shrugged it off. Hadn’t my attempts been fruitless
all this time? For all I knew, she had moved-possibly even
to another country!
But
always that thought would come back. Write Dana a letter.
Remind her of the Lord’s love and His never-failing promises.
What
would be the use, I rationalized. Why write to an address
I haven’t received any response from in months?
It
was several weeks before I finally concluded that, if nothing
else, I wouldn’t have any peace of mind until I had settled
this issue.
So
I wrote to the last address Dana had given me, assuring her
that, wherever she was, Jesus loved her like no other and
would never leave her side. "Every life has its troubled
times," I wrote, "when it’s a struggle to understand
God’s love or keep believing in His care. But those are the
times it comes down to choosing to keep trusting that He is
all-knowing, wise, and loves you more than you realize or
can comprehend."
Two
weeks later, I received a return letter, but not from Dana.
It was from her aunt, who explained that Dana had moved back
to her hometown. Dana’s aunt had moved into Dana’s old apartment,
which explained why she was writing me from that address now.
"My
niece showed me some of your previous letters," she wrote,
"so when your recent letter arrived and I didn’t yet
have a forwarding address for Dana, I opened it. Please forgive
me!
"When
I read your letter, something opened my heart. You are probably
less than half my age, but you teach us with the wisdom Jesus
taught you, and you love us with the love He gives you."
So
it turned out that my writing Dana at an address where she
no longer lived had been more than happenstance. My letter
hadn’t reached the one for whom I had intended it, but God
apparently had someone else in mind when He kept urging me
to write.
I
replied to Dana’s aunt, telling her of Jesus’ love for her
and encouraging her to invite Him into her life.
Now,
months later, another letter…
I
slit open the envelope, laid the letter opener aside, pulled
out a beautifully handwritten letter, and scanned it.
"For
months things went from bad to worse, so I moved back to my
hometown," Dana wrote. "I am looking for a new job,
and still don’t have a permanent address. I thought I couldn’t
write you until I had an address for you to write me back,
but today I phoned my aunt and she told me of your letter.
I was so surprised and happy!
|
