A Voice in the Shower
by Stan Slade, Global Consultant
This week (May 5-10) I have had the privilege of teaching in an amazing leadership training event, just outside of Nairobi, Kenya. Combining the Swahili word for “journey” and the reference in Acts 17:11 to the Bereans, who “examined the Scriptures,” this “Berean Safari” is an intensive week of inductive Bible study.
From my photo of a rhino at Kenya’s Lake Nakuru National Park, though, you can see that we took some time out from Bible study one day to appreciate God’s amazing creation!
Berean Safari participants have come from a half dozen countries in Africa and beyond. They have come to deepen their understanding of the Bible and, at the same time, develop new skills in finding the meaning of Scripture for themselves and the people they serve.
I have been “surprised by God’s people” this week! I am always amazed and inspired by the dedication of the people I have the privilege of teaching as I travel around the world. But when I came to Nairobi this year, I never expected to meet believers from a place we will call Calormen (fans of C.S. Lewis will appreciate the reference; others may simply think of it as “X”). In Calormen, people who were not born into families that follow Jesus can face ostracism, persecution or even death if they decide that Jesus is truly “the way, the truth and the life.”
I’m grateful to God for the husband and wife from Calormen--let’s call them Mary and Joseph--who are in my study group this week. They have come seeking refreshment, renewal and a greater capacity to understand God’s Word and share it with others. Mary was born into a strict traditional family in Calormen, and came to faith in Jesus quite unexpectedly one day when she heard a voice (in the shower!), calling her to forgiveness and life. Mary discovered that the voice in the shower was that of someone she had never met, Jesus. Since that shower, God has used Mary to introduce many other people to the joy and peace she has found as she walks with Jesus. Despite the risks involved, she is committed to sharing with others the blessing she has received in Jesus.
As I listened to the stories of Mary and Joseph, and of others whom they have touched, I was amazed by the surprising ways that God works. The Lord is always ahead of us, active among people and in ways we would never have guessed.
It is a great privilege to play a small role in what God is doing through such courageous and inspiring people. Thank you for the prayer and financial support that enables me to encourage and equip people like Joseph and Mary!
Blessings,
Stan