Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Passport (07/25/05)
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TITLE: The Day Faith Met Grace | Previous Challenge Entry
By Dixie Phillips
07/29/05 -
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“Excuse me, Miss, but I believe that is my seat next to you.” An attractive older woman said as she pointed to the vacant chair.
Faith tightly curled her long legs around the cold vinyl seat as the stranger squeezed past her.
“My name is Faith!”
“Happy to meet you, Faith! I’m Grace! Where you headed?”
“Beijing!” Faith answered.
“No kidding! That’s where I’m headed, too. What are you going to do there?” Grace asked.
“Well, some sightseeing I hope! What are you doing there?”
Grace leaned into Faith’s shoulder and whispered, “I smuggle Bibles to the believers in China.”
Faith gasped. “Isn’t that against the law?”
Grace nodded.
“Couldn’t you get arrested for that?” Faith inquired.
Grace grinned. “Yeah! I’ve been arrested several times, but I’ve met so many wonderful believers in the Underground Church in China that I’d gladly lay down my life for them. After all that’s what Jesus did for us. So, I figure that’s the least I can do for Him after all He’s done for me.”
“Wow! You must really believe in Jesus to jeopardize your own life and future for people that you barely know just so they can have a Bible.”
Grace beamed as she pulled the sleeves of her sweater up.
“Faith, you see these scars? They are from many years ago when I used to shoot up heroin. I was so lost, but then Jesus passed by and rescued me. He delivered me from heroin.”
Faith couldn’t believe her eyes. Sure enough there were the scarred track marks from years of drug abuse, but radiating from Grace’s eyes was a purity of heart that Faith couldn’t escape.
“There are so many religions, Grace! How do you know it’s really the truth?” Faith questioned.
“Well, you know what, Faith, there’s this song that says, ‘You ask me how I know He lives, He lives within my heart?’ It’s something you have to experience to understand. Nothing you can just reason out with your own intellect. You’ve got to have a personal encounter with the living Lord right here.” Grace replied patting her chest.
Faith’s fingers nervously tapped her passport. She had recently been sensing a void in her life. That’s why she decided to do some traveling. And now as she sat next to Grace she felt her heart burning within her chest as Grace shared what Jesus meant to her.
Grace slipped her passport from her purse and started chattering away.
“You know, Faith, to get to China you had to have a passport, and you had to do your homework. Your picture had to be taken and the passport had to be issued by proper authorities. Your passport tells your destination. Well, to make Heaven your eternal destination you need a spiritual passport, and Jesus is the only One Who can issue it. He is the proper Authority. Good works, church membership and religion aren’t the proper authorities to get us to Heaven. Only Jesus can take us to Heaven!”
Faith stared at her passport. “You know, Grace, I believe God had us meet today.”
“No doubt about it, Faith! It was Divine Providence. Maybe you’d like to have a little adventure in Beijing with me. We could smuggle Bibles together.”
“I would like that, but first I need to get my spiritual passport to Heaven.” Faith answered.
“Well, what’s stopping us? If you’re willing to pray with me we can get your passport pronto!” Grace said as she took Faith’s trembling hand.
Faith whispered, “I’m ready!”
The two bowed their heads and prayed and neither one ever forgot the day that Faith met Grace.
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