The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom

 Just when I want to give up. Just when I want to throw in the towel. The Lord sends an encourager - in the most unlikeliest of places, an atheist! Well, he is not an atheist anymore. In highschool, I tried reaching out to this fellow but according to my friend he dismissed me as " a nice girl, but overtly religious". He was a very rational and logical man. So it was no surprise that he excelled at math and science. Living the typical life of an over-achiever he went to the University of Toronto for the prestigious civil engineering program. After high school, I would pray for him here and there, but I was thinking he would  definitely have his atheistic beliefs strengthened at that secular university. 
  Let's fast forward to me. I've been kinda discouraged lately with people's attitude to Christianity. It seems those I thought would be in the game, just gave up. For example, a couple of years ago ago my friends and I were talking about how we would be 21 and still serving Christ. Sadly, those friends no longer follow God (I'm turning 20 soon). Such feelings were compounded  with death and everyone hating God. I guess I was like Job and I was like why?
      Well, recently the former friend I talked about added me on Facebook. I was shocked because I think he deleted me or something ( don't worry no hard feelings haha). And he initiated a conversation with me. I was a bit taken aback. I was thinking that's peculiar he's not the one to initiate convos, am I suddenly cool or something? Well, he rather bluntly told me that he became a Christian (after I asked how he was). My jaw dropped to the floor, then I had to roll it back up. Wait a minute, wait a minute Mr.Richard Dawkins Jr. a Christian... well there might be a God after all. 
      He said one of the people in his class caused him to have faith in God. The classmate's countenance was always a happy one - despite being in a  rigorous  and tedious program. Trust me, engineering will turn the most optimistic, suicidal. So Mr.Rational asked the lady, why she always had a smile on her face and she rather bluntly stated that she is a devout Christian. I guess all  reason and logic is defied. It was encouraging to see that God does truly work in mysterious ways. He even encouraged me to have faith again, that the most logical can take a leap of faith. Originally I wanted to include excerpts of our conversation, but I will just link you to his story. He explains it in a better manner than myself (it's his story anyways)...so read peasants READ!

    When talking about his conversion I was reminded of this scripture :

6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
1 Corinthians 3:6-9

       I initially reached out to my friend in grade 10 and  once again in grade 12 (before deeming him a lost cause - forgive me God) . Thus , it was  4 years after initially reaching out to him, that God touched him. I also give credit to those who prayed and also reached out to him throughout the years. Don't be discouraged if you don't see instantaneous salvation, because sometimes it takes the watering of prayer to bear fruit. I also don't want to boast of my own works, it is through the power of God, that this is possible. We cannot get prideful or become self-righteous...so no it's solo Cristo. And don't limit your faith by saying  God can't reach out to this person for  reasons 'x,y,z'. If God can change God-hating Saul, he can change anyone.

Lets not doubt the power of prayer and fasting and believe for multitudes to be saved.

---

My Song for this week , which I believe pertains to this situation: