God is good

As some of you know, I volunteer at the hopeline. The Hopeline is a call center for teens and young adults that are having issues and need to talk to someone. My official, unofficial title is hope coach, and I answer calls in the form of online chat (maybe one day I will be brave enough to answer the phones). I am still learning a lot and in no way am I seasoned like some of the interns that work there or the other volunteers. 

However, the other night God showed me that I can do it, and He gave me a huge confidence boost. Without sharing too many details of this one girl's call, I would like to share with my readers how God can work through you to achieve amazing things! 

It's 11:30pm. I have been at the call center for 3 hours by this time, and I know the next call I take will be the last one for the night as I usually leave at midnight or shortly there after. My last caller is a 21 year old young woman who has lived in the States for 6 years. She is from the middle east and is Muslim. She tells me the struggles she is facing, prearranged marriage that ended in divorce at age 15 (he was a drug user and abused her) without the support of her family, saved up $20,000 to be independent only to have her parents take it away to marry off her sister, secretly still dating someone her parents doesn't approve of because he's not fully Muslim, and like so many others right now, struggling financially. At first, I was pumped that maybe this could be a great call, but after a while I didn't see me having the opportunity to bring up Jesus. She mention her religion was that she believed you shouldn't judge people. Towards the end of the call, or what I thought it was, I asked her if I could pray for her. I do this with every caller at least, I haven't had one person turn it down. I begin to pray for her. After the prayer, I started to put on my coat is it's like 12:45. I need to get home. This call is done right? God had other plans. She mentioned something about god. God poked at me, "Can you tell me about your god?" She began to tell me that people kill in his name and there are many wars, and that she believes he created things, but isn't there for all people. Then here it goes, "Can you tell me about your god?" (I am tearing up thinking about how He had his hand in the conversation). I began to tell her how my God is amazing, and that He has my name written on my hand and that He treasures me. That he loves me so much he sent his son Jesus to die so that I could have the gift of eternal life. That it was just that a gift. Anyone could have it including her. She said, that would be great, how can I do that. I shared the gospel to her in a way that is very relatable that Hillary (an intern who is wise behind her years) shared with me, that God shared with her. Basically, God lives in NYC and you live in LA, the only way you can communicate is through a phone line. That phone line is severed and in order for you to be able to talk to God, it has to be fixed. Whoever fixes it, will be electrocuted and will die. He asks his son Jesus to fix the line. Jesus knows He will die, but He wants you to have the same relationship with His Father that He has, so He goes to fix the line and dies. Then the line is back up, God calls you and the phone is ringing and ringing...do you pick it up? She said, YES! I told her to take a minute and pray and come back when she was done. When she came back she asked if she should start going to church that she didn't like musque (?) and that she didn't like what they had to say there. I told her to do what she felt was right in her heart, and I directed her to an online chat that happens on www.dmlive.com on Monday nights for new believers and she said she'd join it. She was so happy and thankful that she called. I wish I knew what God had planned for this amazing young woman, who is so strong and courageous. Now it's 1:30 time to go home. 

I am thankful that I grew up in the culture that I did and in the United States where we have so much freedom. She mentioned that if she moved out of her parent's house without being married to a Muslim, that she could be killed. I couldn't imagine that. 

See God gave me the confidence that I too can share the gospel like so many people who do it. I don't need to be able to quote scripture and know everything....just know Him and His love for everyone. I am so glad that He was there with me holding my hand throughout the call. I now know I can do it with His help.