Be Flexible
(Name kept anonymous for confidentiality)
Over 10 years ago some friends and I were going door to door reaching out to the neighbors and asking if they had anything we could help them with or pray for healing. On one occasion an Indian man answered the door. When we offered prayer, he went and carried his wife to the door. She was seriously depressed; we prayed and the depression lifted. So we were invited in.
Later, this woman invited me to her home for a Hindu celebration called Devali. I was completely ignorant regarding the in's and out's of this holiday, but in my youthful and reckless zeal I accepted.
I took a friend to the celebration, we donned beautiful Indian garments and arrived to our new friend’s home. The evening was filled with fire – literally! There was an altar set up, and a fire burning in a bowl waved before the gods then passed around and a Saffron type paste with almonds that after it was waved before the gods was passed around and we were expected to eat.
I declined the food not wanting to partake in anything offered to idols. I was really questioning whether it was the right thing to be at this place at all. I felt horrible as if I had compromised myself and in some ways I believed I did. My motives however were good - I really wanted to win this woman to Christ, and now in hindsight I think perhaps my flexibility was a good thing.
At the celebration, I met another woman who had been in the country for a short time, we became friends and she and her husband had me over for a meal. While I was in the bathroom at their home, the husband punched her in the face! Through this incident, her secret became exposed. She had been living in a prison that she felt she couldn’t leave.
We maintained our friendship and after many prayers of the saints and intercession, she finally left this abusive relationship. Not only has my friend walked out of her prison, she earned her MBA last year, became an America citizen, bought her 1st home, and received two promotions in her job - not bad for a woman who was told every day through word or deed that she was worthless!
My friend has been to our church on a few occasions, been exposed to Christians who have touched her life and shown her the extraordinary love of Jesus. While she has not yet accepted the Lord, I believe that one day she will come to know Him as her true Redeemer and friend.
So while I still question whether it was the right thing to go to the Devali celebration and don’t know if I’d do it again in the future, I can see how God used my flexibility to help bring someone out of the darkness into His light.
