The beginning of a new year is upon us. This is a time when we give thanks to God for the year gone by, and resolve to do better in the new year ahead. It is a time for new beginnings, a time for thanksgiving, a time for praise, and a time for prayer.
We look back at the good and the bad.
God has blessed us in many ways. This happened some years ago, but it was a time when things seemed to be routine. I led in a worship service on Sunday, and on Monday through Saturday morning, opened the Bible Book Store every day. Every day meant that I spent hours, between serving shoppers either entering a hand written translation into the computer, setting it up into the correct format for printing a tract or booklet, printing it on the Risograph, or collating and binding the material into finished booklets. It seemed that every day was the same, and I was rather “down.” There were times, when I have to admit, that I wondered if it was worth all the hard work. It was then, that God sent me a little “note of appreciation.” A man whom I knew, as a street evangelist, came in for a visit and some browsing among the finished booklets. He had bought several copies of those that I had prepared and placed on the shelves over the months. This time he had a question. If he brought his people to me, would I baptize them? Of course, I said yes, if I could speak with them first. He expected that and agreed to interpret for me. I did not ask which language he would be using. There are eleven official languages spoken in South Africa. And an agreement was made that he could come after closing time the following Saturday. The time was not really important as we lived upstairs above the shop. Then I returned to my work in progress.
The following Saturday, It was nearly time to close the doors, and I wondered if he would come at all. It was just then that I heard singing, and a group of Africans with him at the lead, came down the street. Right up to the door; they had arrived to be baptized. They had been studying one of our booklets on baptism for several weeks, now they wanted to be obedient to the Scriptures they had been studying. We closed the shop and went over to the chapel where I talked with them a while, and with his help, he went into the baptistery with me, we took their confession of faith and baptized 25 adults that day! God had sent me a reminder, that the word will not return void. I had prepared the lessons in their language, the evangelist had taught them, and now they came to be obedient. It was definitely worth all the hours spent! I really did not need his assistance, but how better to teach him how to baptize. After a few such visits, he now performs his own baptisms. I will only know how many when I go to be with the Lord. On the other hand, I might have needed him, as there was no way to know if these would be small people or grossly overweight. As it was, I was really sore and stiff for days afterwards. Praise to the Lord.
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