Post by Traveler on Jun 21, 2020 22:27:15 GMT
A Different Type of Gift.
This is a story about the Lords provision for those who need it.
There was a ministry that operated in Harare that catered to those who were suffering from addictions and petty criminal behavior. Basically what used to happen was when some individual would fall short of the law the judge would send them to this place where they were given the opportunity to straighten their lives out as an alternative to a jail sentence.
As a ministry this produced a lot of good fruit and enabled Christ to provide the stability that many people lacked in their lives.
Anyway this story is about one individual that passed through these doors and who received a very special form of gift which also turned out to be a powerful witness for many and a great blessing to all those who were associated with this work.
This man was given the choice to attend this ministry after the judge found him guilty of assault. He was a very big man, very strong. But totally illiterate. He had a learning disability and could just not grasp the concept of letters. This set him up to be taken advantage of by others who would abuse him ruthlessly and exploit him no end. Naturally this led to frustration and in the end he decked someone with te result he ended up in court. Naturally he was not in any position to put up any form of organized defense and got shafted again.
While he was under the care of this ministry he did warm up to the things of the Lord and did try as best he could to develop spiritually. But being unable to read he had to rely on others to read the scriptures to him, when they had the time for this big stupid ox. Life was hard for someone with this type of disability.
One day the person who ran this ministry was walking past his room and there was this giant of a man sitting on the side of his bed weeping his hart out. Something that was quite out of character for someone who was always on the defensive and outwardly as hard as nails.
After a while this minister managed to calm this big man down to the point where he was able to ask him what he was crying about.
Slowly the big man picked up a new testament and flipped it open and began to read fluently. The astounded minister then gave him a newspaper to read but he was unable. When the bible was given back to him he could once again read fluently.
God had bestowed upon this individual the gift of the scriptures. God had given him the opportunity to study his word just like everybody else on an equal footing. He could read nothing else but he had been granted the opportunity to learn about the Lord through his written word and it was now up to him to press on in at his own pace without the need of help from others who would despise him for his inabilities.
This is a story about the Lords provision for those who need it.
There was a ministry that operated in Harare that catered to those who were suffering from addictions and petty criminal behavior. Basically what used to happen was when some individual would fall short of the law the judge would send them to this place where they were given the opportunity to straighten their lives out as an alternative to a jail sentence.
As a ministry this produced a lot of good fruit and enabled Christ to provide the stability that many people lacked in their lives.
Anyway this story is about one individual that passed through these doors and who received a very special form of gift which also turned out to be a powerful witness for many and a great blessing to all those who were associated with this work.
This man was given the choice to attend this ministry after the judge found him guilty of assault. He was a very big man, very strong. But totally illiterate. He had a learning disability and could just not grasp the concept of letters. This set him up to be taken advantage of by others who would abuse him ruthlessly and exploit him no end. Naturally this led to frustration and in the end he decked someone with te result he ended up in court. Naturally he was not in any position to put up any form of organized defense and got shafted again.
While he was under the care of this ministry he did warm up to the things of the Lord and did try as best he could to develop spiritually. But being unable to read he had to rely on others to read the scriptures to him, when they had the time for this big stupid ox. Life was hard for someone with this type of disability.
One day the person who ran this ministry was walking past his room and there was this giant of a man sitting on the side of his bed weeping his hart out. Something that was quite out of character for someone who was always on the defensive and outwardly as hard as nails.
After a while this minister managed to calm this big man down to the point where he was able to ask him what he was crying about.
Slowly the big man picked up a new testament and flipped it open and began to read fluently. The astounded minister then gave him a newspaper to read but he was unable. When the bible was given back to him he could once again read fluently.
God had bestowed upon this individual the gift of the scriptures. God had given him the opportunity to study his word just like everybody else on an equal footing. He could read nothing else but he had been granted the opportunity to learn about the Lord through his written word and it was now up to him to press on in at his own pace without the need of help from others who would despise him for his inabilities.