The hospital surgeon had referred me to a physiotherapist for rehabilitating my frail body. Reluctantly I went to her “torture chamber”. My imagination visualized her domicile to be just like that.
I wasn´t fair of course, for she, maybe in her 30´ies or early 40´ies, happened to be extremely sympathetic. She asked me to tell my “story”. - “What kind of Christian are you? Just a “common” Christian or what?”, she asked. And the conversation went on. “I have a hard time with religious people”, I find them very “narrow” and hard to get along with”, she said.
I affirmed my being but a “common” Christian, and that I sometimes have a hard time with “religious people” myself. In fact they are often my worst opponents. “What about Jehovah´s Witnesses?” she asked. - “Well, I share with them how Christ came into my life. They usually listen, and usually their “programmed” arguments or “sales talk” are ruled out. This is the way I go about it, no matter whom I´m talking to.”
I suddenly found myself talking to an honest, thinking person. I told her how real life has become since Christ entered my heart. I virtually made my arms wide open and said to her, “This is how my life has become!” I asked her, “Am I talking too much? For that´s what my wife always reproaches me with!” She smiled, “No, I think this is fascinating!”
And soon I was put on a couch and she, like another kneading machine, treated my poor back with my outbursts of pain, but she hopefully did me a lot of good. At the same time she told me of her three little children, her husband, their good family life, and now it was my turn to be fascinated. I wanted to win her, and she had already won my heart.
She had my wonderful John 3:16-“silver coin”, and I slowly quoted that key word to her. “Nobody in Denmark knows it”, I told her, and you don´t either, do you?” No, she admitted. “But in America they do”, I went on, and our parting words were almost similar to the concluding words of a gospel meeting. I look forward to our next appointment, already tomorrow. Not for “religious” reasons, but for the sake of the gospel. And my poor back.
Dec. 19, 2013 – jn
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