Persistence.
pərˈsistəns
noun
“Firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.”
As we leave the Balmer building with eager attitudes and open hearts, I look around the room and see a sea of genuinely happy human beings. Sisters and brothers of Christ, ready to help those who need someone to listen and to share the Gospel. The morning shift was great, with God’s help. We started off in front of a building and screened three people, but they were not that receptive to the Gospel. As we walked further, we met with a man who was doing some yard work in his front yard. We also screened him for both hypertension and diabetes and as we began to speak about Jesus, he denied our offering and prayer, but said that he believes people should love and be nice to each other. As we walked further down the street, we met a man who allowed us into his home. This was the first person to let us into his home and as we walked into his home, I felt as though we had accomplished something great. He led us into the kitchen and all over his table was a 900-piece puzzle that was yet to be finished. We screened him from head to toe and at the end of the screening, we asked him a question we have all been trained to ask.
“We are also here to offer prayer, is there anything you would like us to pray for you with?”
And he answered:
“No, I have nothing against him, but I don’t really feel the need to pray to him either.”
After some more picking and prodding, we made our way past the completed puzzles and said our goodbyes and moved on to the next house. I secretly hoped that we would get through to the next few houses, spiritually. Despite still being hungry to serve the community, we had to travel back to the Urban Hope Center and eat lunch. As we were driving back to the area we were assigned to, I was a little tired and ready for a really great power nap, but I just told myself that it would be alright, that we just had to keep pushing through. We went down a few streets and door after door we were either being rejected or no one wanted to speak to us or give us a chance to speak. By the grace of God, we finally met this woman who was elated to see us.
“I’ve been waiting for you to come by my house! Please come inside!”
We were in this woman’s house for maybe about 30 minutes, she had a beautiful home, and explained her story to us. I asked her if I could take a picture with her because I prayed that someone would let us in her home and I had this odd feeling we would run into someone that would really turn the day around and she did arrive. Below is a picture of our team with her.
If there is one thing I am learning about our mission, it’s to continually be persistent. While at times it may seem as though things may not be working out, or that He is not listening, He actually is. Throughout the day, we met people who were not open to prayer, but it was all worth it when we met this woman. Life will require a lot of persistence and I am beginning to realize that as a healthcare professional, being persistent at the right times will only benefit the patient more. I hope and pray that more people we encounter in the next three weeks will be as open to it as this woman was. Thank you for giving us a chance, Ms. L.
– Christine Dimaculangan