I have been visiting a specific area to the west of Manakara for about 4-5 months now. I have made some good contacts in this area and enjoy the honest answers I get to questions I ask about Malagasy culture. There is one specific village I have been visiting every week for the past 4 weeks now.
The first time I entered this village, I met with the mpanjaka, or king, of the village. He was very warm and inviting and kind. I was instantly drawn to him and knew he would be a good soil to sow seed. The next few visits, there was a funeral and he was not there. However, his wife was each time. We visited with her that week and weeks following. You could instantly see the walls that had been built up around her heart. Walls that were built with culture and decorated with animism.
Fast forward to this week. We went, armed with stories from scripture, because we knew those are the only things that can extinguish the walls the enemy has built in this couple's hearts. We arrived, and the wife was not there. While unexpected, given her body language from the previous week's conversation, I knew it could have been a possibility. The king was there, however, and proceeded to ask many questions regarding our previous conversation. He asked questions like "if you're here to share the gospel, why are you asking about the ancestors?" and "who killed Jesus? People or God?" After we answered his questions, and a clear gospel presentation was given, it came time for a response.
His response was "I can't trust myself to get there."
This conversation happened after that response:
Me: If your daughter was dying, and you had the only medicine that could save her, what would you do?
Him: I would try to make her take it.
Me: And what would happen if she didn't take it?
Him: She would die, and it shows she's trusting in something else.
Me: Jesus is the medicine. We know He is the medicine and we want you to take it. We can't force you to take it, but we know it will save you.
Him: But how do you know? You can't see him. No one can see him.
National Partner: Faith. Blessed are those who have believed even though they cannot see.
Leaving that conversation left me with a mixture of emotions. It was a good conversation and showed that the king was really thinking about what had been said in previous weeks. But it also left me sad. Sad that the enemy has such a hold on this place. Sad that his wife's heart is very hardened. Sad that I couldn't do anything to convince him that day.
In that moment, God whispered to me "since when is it your job to save him, Tiffany?" The reality is, is that it isn't my job, nor will it ever be my job. My job is to be faithful to sharing the Good News. Just like the king couldn't make his daughter take medicine, I can't make him become a believer. Do I wish I could? Oh you bet! But that isn't my job. My dad always said "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink it."
So, faithfulness is required. And being faithful is something I will continue to strive for. Not being the savior, because there is already a Great one. One that I know is the answer to all of life's problems. He is the medicine. The medicine we all desperately need.
The first time I entered this village, I met with the mpanjaka, or king, of the village. He was very warm and inviting and kind. I was instantly drawn to him and knew he would be a good soil to sow seed. The next few visits, there was a funeral and he was not there. However, his wife was each time. We visited with her that week and weeks following. You could instantly see the walls that had been built up around her heart. Walls that were built with culture and decorated with animism.
Fast forward to this week. We went, armed with stories from scripture, because we knew those are the only things that can extinguish the walls the enemy has built in this couple's hearts. We arrived, and the wife was not there. While unexpected, given her body language from the previous week's conversation, I knew it could have been a possibility. The king was there, however, and proceeded to ask many questions regarding our previous conversation. He asked questions like "if you're here to share the gospel, why are you asking about the ancestors?" and "who killed Jesus? People or God?" After we answered his questions, and a clear gospel presentation was given, it came time for a response.
His response was "I can't trust myself to get there."
This conversation happened after that response:
Me: If your daughter was dying, and you had the only medicine that could save her, what would you do?
Him: I would try to make her take it.
Me: And what would happen if she didn't take it?
Him: She would die, and it shows she's trusting in something else.
Me: Jesus is the medicine. We know He is the medicine and we want you to take it. We can't force you to take it, but we know it will save you.
Him: But how do you know? You can't see him. No one can see him.
National Partner: Faith. Blessed are those who have believed even though they cannot see.
Leaving that conversation left me with a mixture of emotions. It was a good conversation and showed that the king was really thinking about what had been said in previous weeks. But it also left me sad. Sad that the enemy has such a hold on this place. Sad that his wife's heart is very hardened. Sad that I couldn't do anything to convince him that day.
In that moment, God whispered to me "since when is it your job to save him, Tiffany?" The reality is, is that it isn't my job, nor will it ever be my job. My job is to be faithful to sharing the Good News. Just like the king couldn't make his daughter take medicine, I can't make him become a believer. Do I wish I could? Oh you bet! But that isn't my job. My dad always said "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink it."
So, faithfulness is required. And being faithful is something I will continue to strive for. Not being the savior, because there is already a Great one. One that I know is the answer to all of life's problems. He is the medicine. The medicine we all desperately need.
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