Mala was slowly slipping out of my mind as ten days fled past. I peeped through the upstairs window at the sound of a horn. Sure enough, it was the cream Ambassador!
"Hi"
"Hi"
"Come in Mala, come in. I'm so glad you are here."
"Not bad. You even remember my name."
"Sit. Would you have coffee or some juice?"
"No aunty, no please. Daddy wanted me to be back in an hour. That book ..."
"Oh, that book."
It sounded so vague. What book did I promise to give her? I ransacked my brain. Oh, it must be that book I always used as a bait for teenagers. Where was it? I delved into the dusty bookshelf.
"Mala, I'm sorry. It's not with me just now. But I'll give it to you in a fortnight's time."
"No aunty, the booklet you gave me in the train. I read it."
"Yah?" I beat my forehead with my hand and went to prepare her coffee.
"You liked it?"
"Nice." Mala sipped her coffee as if happy to spend the hour with me.
"Nice means what?" I tried to sound casual as my heart was pounding almost audibly.
"I liked it." "Jesus changed my life Mala. Since then I have been a iifferent. person."
I could see the look of a trapped rat in her eyes as if she was sorry for mentioning that book. But I was not prepared to leave it at that. But my guess was wrong.
"But you look so happy. You are not much different from me. You say you play shuttle cock. You are so colourfuUy dressed."
"Why not?" I let out a hearty laughter. What do you think of Jesus? You think He will make you a recluse? Ha, ha ... Mala ... "
She joined in my laughter shyly.
"It is something that happens inside you Mala, in your heart, a right-about turn, from sin to the Saviour!"
"Am I a sinner?"
"Well, that's what the Bible says. And we know it. I have sinned and so have you. Sin separated us from God. That will ultimately lead us to hell-fire."
Mala placed the cup and saucer on the table. She crossed her legs and listened with her chin on the cup of her palm,
"Do you have a personal experience with Jesus?"
"What is that?"
"I'll try to put it in terms you'll understand. There is in every person a desire to commit sin. But when we commit a sin, we don't feel good about it. Bight?"
"Yah."
"We don't want to do bad things. But we do it. And we wonder why we do it."
She nodded approvingly. "You decide not to do it again but you feel powerless to stop yourself. Then you think about God and wonder if He would punish you. Do you think about God?"
I wanted a feedback.
"Oh yah, I often wonder where God is and who He is. I don't understand much from what they say in the church."
"When I was a girl I would lie down under the starry sky and wonder where God was. There was a vacuum in my heart. I wondered about my death and where I would go after I die."
"Yah, I have thought so, many times."
"Of course, I knew about Jesus Christ and heaven and hell. But that didn't make much sense to me. It was all so vague."
She was intently, looking into my eyes for the next sentence.
"There is a God-shaped vacuum in every man's heart. Man wants forgiveness and redemption. That's why we see people going on pilgrimage. They are in search of salvation."
She nodded.
"In his search for God man has invented many gods. He is still searching. You see, God created man. But man disobeyed God. Mankind has gone away from God like lost sheep. If a son walks out of the house, the father's heart will always be aching for his son, isn't it?"
"Yah."
"So was God's heart. He wanted all men back to Him. So He worked out a plan. You see Mala, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Have you seen people sacrificing birds or animals in temples?"
"Mm, sometime back I saw that in a village."
"That's it. But, the blood of birds or animals cannot wash away man's sin. Therefore God sent His own Son, Jesus Christ to this earth to die for us. Jesus was born of a virgin.
He lived a sinless life. The devil tempted Him to sin. When you don't want to do a bad thing do you feel a prompting in you to go ahead? Do you often hear a voice within you, calling you to sin?"
"I should say yes."
I could see she was no more casual. Her face had turned serious.
"God is supernatural, so also Satan. God is holy. Satan is evil. Satan tempts us to commit sin and tries to draw us to him. Sometimes we say, 'No' to him; sometimes we say, 'Yes.' But Jesus during His life never gave in. He said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." He was crucified on the cross by His enemies out of jealousy. But He came alive on the third day and appeared to His friends. Then He went to heaven promising to come back."
"So then what happened to you?"
That gave me a jolt. "Oh, yah" I paused, using the time to figure out where I left my story.
"Ah, then... I went to a Vacation Bible School where I was told to confess my sins to God and believe on Jesus as my Saviour. I was told that my sins would be forgiven and I would have peace and joy and I would enjoy heaven in eternity. Otherwise I would go to hell from where there would be no escape. So I knelt down and confessed my sins and asked God to take charge of my life. That was the turning point of my life."
She leaned back and relaxed. The vague look in her eyes seemed to clear.
"What Mala? Feel free. Just tell me what you feel."
She looked at her wristwatch. Did she want to go? I was wrong again. She felt relieved to have half an hour more.
"Will God forgive me just like that? In school we discuss the films we saw and cook up dirty stories. We share the novels we read. We pair each other with some fellow and tease one another. But because I am a rank student, I have a good reputation in school. If I'm late from school, I lie to my parents..."
"Mala, you don't have to tell me all that. Tell it to God. The Bible says, if we cover our sins God cannot bless us. But if we confess them and leave them, then God forgives all our sins. Just tell God you are a sinner, and ask for His forgiveness. Believe Jesus died for your sins."
Mala knelt down. Her thin lips quivered. A large drop of tear emerged from under her long lashes. She sniffed. The expected miracle had happened! My heart leapt for joy. A whole thirty minutes ticked past. I was getting worried about the time.
"Mala, right now the blood of Jesus is washing you and Christ has come into your heart. Now you are a child of God."
She took in every word I spoke. Her face was radiant. The red streaks in her eyes looked beautiful.
"You are now a new person Mala. You are no more your old self. God will help you overcome the temptations. Read your Bible daily and pray. Do come whenever possible."
As the sound of the car died away I pulled out my diary and wrote "Mala born again!"
Does she know that the golden rays of dawn have broken through her long night?
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, 8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
Mala was slowly slipping out of my mind as ten days fled past. I peeped through the upstairs window at the sound of a horn. Sure enough, it was the cream Ambassador!
"Hi"
"Hi"
"Come in Mala, come in. I'm so glad you are here."
"Not bad. You even remember my name."
"Sit. Would you have coffee or some juice?"
"No aunty, no please. Daddy wanted me to be back in an hour. That book ..."
"Oh, that book."
It sounded so vague. What book did I promise to give her? I ransacked my brain. Oh, it must be that book I always used as a bait for teenagers. Where was it? I delved into the dusty bookshelf.
"Mala, I'm sorry. It's not with me just now. But I'll give it to you in a fortnight's time."
"No aunty, the booklet you gave me in the train. I read it."
"Yah?" I beat my forehead with my hand and went to prepare her coffee.
"You liked it?"
"Nice." Mala sipped her coffee as if happy to spend the hour with me.
"Nice means what?" I tried to sound casual as my heart was pounding almost audibly.
"I liked it." "Jesus changed my life Mala. Since then I have been a iifferent. person."
I could see the look of a trapped rat in her eyes as if she was sorry for mentioning that book. But I was not prepared to leave it at that. But my guess was wrong.
"But you look so happy. You are not much different from me. You say you play shuttle cock. You are so colourfuUy dressed."
"Why not?" I let out a hearty laughter. What do you think of Jesus? You think He will make you a recluse? Ha, ha ... Mala ... "
She joined in my laughter shyly.
"It is something that happens inside you Mala, in your heart, a right-about turn, from sin to the Saviour!"
"Am I a sinner?"
"Well, that's what the Bible says. And we know it. I have sinned and so have you. Sin separated us from God. That will ultimately lead us to hell-fire."
Mala placed the cup and saucer on the table. She crossed her legs and listened with her chin on the cup of her palm,
"Do you have a personal experience with Jesus?"
"What is that?"
"I'll try to put it in terms you'll understand. There is in every person a desire to commit sin. But when we commit a sin, we don't feel good about it. Bight?"
"Yah."
"We don't want to do bad things. But we do it. And we wonder why we do it."
She nodded approvingly. "You decide not to do it again but you feel powerless to stop yourself. Then you think about God and wonder if He would punish you. Do you think about God?"
I wanted a feedback.
"Oh yah, I often wonder where God is and who He is. I don't understand much from what they say in the church."
"When I was a girl I would lie down under the starry sky and wonder where God was. There was a vacuum in my heart. I wondered about my death and where I would go after I die."
"Yah, I have thought so, many times."
"Of course, I knew about Jesus Christ and heaven and hell. But that didn't make much sense to me. It was all so vague."
She was intently, looking into my eyes for the next sentence.
"There is a God-shaped vacuum in every man's heart. Man wants forgiveness and redemption. That's why we see people going on pilgrimage. They are in search of salvation."
She nodded.
"In his search for God man has invented many gods. He is still searching. You see, God created man. But man disobeyed God. Mankind has gone away from God like lost sheep. If a son walks out of the house, the father's heart will always be aching for his son, isn't it?"
"Yah."
"So was God's heart. He wanted all men back to Him. So He worked out a plan. You see Mala, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Have you seen people sacrificing birds or animals in temples?"
"Mm, sometime back I saw that in a village."
"That's it. But, the blood of birds or animals cannot wash away man's sin. Therefore God sent His own Son, Jesus Christ to this earth to die for us. Jesus was born of a virgin.
He lived a sinless life. The devil tempted Him to sin. When you don't want to do a bad thing do you feel a prompting in you to go ahead? Do you often hear a voice within you, calling you to sin?"
"I should say yes."
I could see she was no more casual. Her face had turned serious.
"God is supernatural, so also Satan. God is holy. Satan is evil. Satan tempts us to commit sin and tries to draw us to him. Sometimes we say, 'No' to him; sometimes we say, 'Yes.' But Jesus during His life never gave in. He said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." He was crucified on the cross by His enemies out of jealousy. But He came alive on the third day and appeared to His friends. Then He went to heaven promising to come back."
"So then what happened to you?"
That gave me a jolt. "Oh, yah" I paused, using the time to figure out where I left my story.
"Ah, then... I went to a Vacation Bible School where I was told to confess my sins to God and believe on Jesus as my Saviour. I was told that my sins would be forgiven and I would have peace and joy and I would enjoy heaven in eternity. Otherwise I would go to hell from where there would be no escape. So I knelt down and confessed my sins and asked God to take charge of my life. That was the turning point of my life."
She leaned back and relaxed. The vague look in her eyes seemed to clear.
"What Mala? Feel free. Just tell me what you feel."
She looked at her wristwatch. Did she want to go? I was wrong again. She felt relieved to have half an hour more.
"Will God forgive me just like that? In school we discuss the films we saw and cook up dirty stories. We share the novels we read. We pair each other with some fellow and tease one another. But because I am a rank student, I have a good reputation in school. If I'm late from school, I lie to my parents..."
"Mala, you don't have to tell me all that. Tell it to God. The Bible says, if we cover our sins God cannot bless us. But if we confess them and leave them, then God forgives all our sins. Just tell God you are a sinner, and ask for His forgiveness. Believe Jesus died for your sins."
Mala knelt down. Her thin lips quivered. A large drop of tear emerged from under her long lashes. She sniffed. The expected miracle had happened! My heart leapt for joy. A whole thirty minutes ticked past. I was getting worried about the time.
"Mala, right now the blood of Jesus is washing you and Christ has come into your heart. Now you are a child of God."
She took in every word I spoke. Her face was radiant. The red streaks in her eyes looked beautiful.
"You are now a new person Mala. You are no more your old self. God will help you overcome the temptations. Read your Bible daily and pray. Do come whenever possible."
As the sound of the car died away I pulled out my diary and wrote "Mala born again!"
Does she know that the golden rays of dawn have broken through her long night?
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, Mob:8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
