I was recently teaching Bible lessons in a camp in Romania. There was a mixture of church kids and kids that didn't have a clue what I was talking about. The unchurched kids listened with curiosity.
One such boy was David (name changed). By all outward appearances he was a rough and tumble street kid. His voice was raspy, deep, and threatening to any who opposed him. He was very aggressive even if he was small in stature. To be very blunt, he reminded me of a small pit bull!
For the first three days I didn't think he was listening at all as I taught about the wide and narrow roads from Matthew 7:13-14, the courage of Daniel in the lions den, and David against Goliath. Then, on Thursday something changed.
What I didn't know is David's background. He was just recently adopted from an orphanage. He had only been with his new family for a couple of weeks. His rough, street-kid attitude was from working his way up the peer ladder in the orphanage. I've seen this before and it is unbelievable how the peers hold power in these places. David had not experienced the love of a mother and father, or sibling love. So, he came to the camp on the defense, ready to fight his way up to the top again.
On Thursday I drew a large chalk drawing of the story of Abraham and Isaac. The one where God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son in obedience. Always obeying God up to this point, Abraham took his son to Mt. Moriah and built an alter there. He bound his son and was just about ready to slay him with a knife when an angel called to him and said," Do not slay your son, for I now know that you fear God and have not withheld your only son from me". Abraham sacrificed a ram that was close by instead.
I have a hidden picture behind the one I was drawing which was drawn in black light chalk, and when it became visible it was Christ hanging on the cross of Calvary. God's perfect sacrifice for our sins.
Something changed in David that night. He could see love portrayed in the picture of Christ hanging on the cross. He could understand all that God was willing to sacrifice for him. The concept of that kind of love was new to him.
Friday brought a contrite and changed boy to chapel. His head was bowed and he had the look of a child with a thousand questions. He came and stood next to me after chapel. Someone close by said he wanted to talk to me. As they interpreted, David told me he was sorry for being so loud and disruptive during Bible time and...that his counselor had helped him accept Christ as his Savior last night. I gave him a mighty big hug and told him I would pray for him to walk the narrow path.
I am crying as I write this because I fell in love with that kid at that moment. The next morning as the children left the campground he sought me out from the bus window, waved and smiled the biggest smile! I think I lost my heart to that little boy in that moment.
Praise God for His life-changing ability!
