PAGES FROM ADAM’S DIARY

Ask and You Shall Receive Exceedingly Abundantly Above What You Asked

A brother, known to some of us as Dr Adam, has served the Lord among his suffering church for many years. Dr Adam has also ministered in various parts of the world among refugees. We have asked his permission to print some of the stories of his life and service for the encouragement of readers of The Record. For well understood reasons, the names of people and places have usually been changed or omitted.

Last year, I was visiting a refugee camp in the Netherlands. Usually when I go to such camps, we gather in someone’s room where I teach the word of God and answer their questions. I also serve them pastorally. For example, I listen to their many problems and try to comfort and encourage them. It is not unusual to be asked to be the mediator in marital or interpersonal conflicts. I normally take food with me and try to make the occasion an enjoyable and memorable time for them. Such gatherings often are a mixture of believers and unbelievers who have been invited to come by their friends and hear the Gospel. On that day and in that camp, after spending the morning teaching and answering questions of those who had come, in the early afternoon, it was time for me to leave because I had to take the bus to the train station and then journey another couple of hours on the train to reach my next destination.

Therefore, I asked them before leaving if I could pray and commit them to the Lord. One of the people in our gathering, a man in his late sixties, raised his hand and said he had a prayer request. He asked if everyone could pray that God would provide him with a bicycle. He explained that he did not have enough money to buy a bicycle and he could not afford the cost of the public transportation to go to the nearby city to buy his needed supplies. His only option was to walk the several kilometres to reach the city near the camp to go to the store to buy food and what he needed. He noted, however, that his knees and his feet were in much pain after each trip. I told him that God had already answered the prayer. I offered to take him to the city and buy him a bicycle. Like a little boy being given his first bicycle, he was ecstatic.

After our time of prayer, I said goodbye to everyone and took this man to go to the city centre. The plan was that I would buy the bicycle and, from there, I would take the train to my destination. He would then ride his new means of transportation back to the camp. He said he knew of a bicycle shop near the city centre which sold refurbished bicycles as well. He said, ‘What I am asking for does not have to be a brand-new bicycle, only something I can ride between the refugee camp and the city centre.’ As we walked out of the camp towards the bus stop to go to the city, a couple of hundred metres away, I saw a man on a bicycle; and from the distance, it appeared he was towing a second bicycle next to him. As he reached us, he stopped and asked if we knew where the refugee camp was. I pointed out to him the gates behind the treeline. He then said, ‘My son gave me this bicycle last Christmas. It has been sitting in my garage for months because I already have a bicycle which I like and it has many memories for me. This morning my wife and I were talking about our son’s gift and she said to me, “Why don’t you take the bicycle our son gave you for Christmas to the refugee camp and maybe the camp authorities can give it to one of the refugees in need of a bicycle? This will make God happy”.’ He said, ‘It is new. Never used before.’ And indeed, it was a beautiful and sturdy bicycle – much newer than the bicycle the elderly man was riding himself. I explained to him that, in fact, we were on our way to buy a bicycle for my friend and I explained the reason. He asked, ‘Are you Muslims?’ I answered, ‘No and yes. We are Muslim converts to the Christian faith. We are now followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.’ His eyes filled with tears, he countered, ‘I am too. I am too!’ He handed the bicycle to the man, said goodbye, turned around and left. My refugee friend was quite taken aback by this coincidence. However, I knew very well in my heart that this was no coincidence. The fingerprints of the Lord were all over it. He is an expert in ‘making coincidences’. He had orchestrated this meeting for our pleasure and his own, too! Every one of us, particularly those who are redeemed of our Lord, if we look carefully, will also see the footprints of the Saviour in all the alleyways of our lives! •