While on a prayer walk down a bar-filled road of one of the most visited places in Thailand, God nudged Abby Dapron and her teammate, both Passport participants, to get in the ocean. Not dressed for a swim, Abby and Nikki decided to obey God anyway. Who did the meet when they jumped in the water?
“Ok, here we are, God. We’re swimming. In our clothes. By this kid. And we don’t know why. So if you wanna tell us, that would be great.”
After 20 minutes of waiting in the salty ocean, Abby and Nikki were tired. Drenched in wet, heavy clothes, they wondered if they should go back to shore and head home.
Then they saw him.
“Hi!” exclaimed Abby.
“Hi!” he answered, “Where are you from?”
And it began. On the shores on Thailand, Abby and Nikki conversed with a complete stranger all because God told them to get in the water.
Ramin was Muslim from Iran, who was on vacation. He was in his 30's, unmarried with no kids and lived with his parents. He managed businesses for a living and was “fed up with his angry, wrathful god that is impossible to please.”
Hearts pounding, Abby and Nikki told Ramin, about a God who loves, forgives, and who sent his son to die for him.
“Your God loves?” asked Ramin, “That so much better, so much better than my god. I can’t believe I never knew. Your God makes so much sense.”
At that point, Abby and Nikki decided it may be time to tell Ramin why they were swimming in their clothes, because they already looked crazy anyway. He got it. “God tell you go swimming so you meet me, because God love me! See, I getting it! I learning!”
Realizing she had an extra Bible with her back home, Nikki asked, “Do you read English?”
“Yes, I read and write English.”
“I have a Bible for you!”
They made plans to meet Ramin again to give him the Bible later that evening. But with a look of concern in his eyes, he said, “I don’t know if I will be able to finish it, though."
“No, no, you can keep it! It’s a gift! If you want it,” they clarified.
“Really? A free gift? I am always interested in a free gift… especially when free gift is Bible!”
Later that evening, Ramin arrived at a coffee shop near the beach. He greeted them with a wide grin. There, Abby and Nikki showed Ramin God’s love through his Word.
“His questions were pure, and just as in the ocean that day, he kept repeating, ‘Your God love. This so good. So much better than my god. Your God love.’”
God's love transforms. He can use Ramin to impact his family and friends back home. He has the ability to reach a whole nation. He can show God's love, all because two young women chose to obey the "still, small voice" that told them to go swimming.
What ocean is God asking you to go swim in today? Maybe he will ask you to talk to the barista at your local coffee shop, or go on a mission trip.
Are you listening?
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