You've stopped and jumped out of the car, everyone freshens up, including your doggy. You head to the bakery for a pie or sausage roll, you realise it doesn't accept eftpos, your husband runs across the road and on his way back nearly bumps into an old man, he apologies and heads back to the bakery so we can sit together and eat our hot and yummy pastries.
Before you enjoy your hot pastries, your husband needs to go in the store with your children and pay for them and collect them. You sit at an outside table, an old man sits at the table next to you. Immediately you feel there is something about this man...You don't know what that something is...YET!
You kind of feel uneasy, you know you need to say HELLO like you often do, but you hesitate for some reason. Your husband joins you with your children and you settle to eat your late lunch quickly, however you still feel uneasy. You nudge your "have-a-chat" husband, and ask him to say HELLO...He says he already has, however he knew, your darling husband knew something was going on so he started a conversation with this dear old man.
Just as your husband started up a convo, your bravery (more like the HOLY SPIRIT) kicks in, you know, you know something needs to be said to this man. You listen and look into his dear eyes, you can tell and you know something isn't right. As he talks, you hear him say he doesn't have long to live, maybe days, he tells you he is dieing, he has cancer.....Your heart becomes heavy and aches, tears swell into your eyes, you compose yourself and know what to say and do (well sort of) you very quickly ask him, Are there any churches around here? Do you go to Church? He responds, yes their are churches and no I don't go to Church. That's it, you're in, you have a foot in the door.
Your husband takes over and talks to him about God, you pray, you pray in a language only God understands, you keep praying.
This man is hurt, this man hates priests, this man has regrets, this man has just shared he has just had the worst day of his life and feels he is going to die soon (within days). This man has had enough....but there is HOPE .......this man had an encounter with God many years ago and he himself said, "I should believe in God because of this encounter, but I don't."
You keep listening to this dear old man talk...his story is sad, you feel those tears rise into your eyes, you wipe them away and you keep listening. This old man pours his heart out to you. You can hear his regrets before he even tells you he has many of them...you pray and listen.
You know what you need to say to him, you chat along with him, you and your husband talk with him about GOD...he is so put off by priests, he wants to believe but finds it difficult to believe. This dear old man blames God for a lot of things...slowly you feel his heart soften, you speak the words that are placed on your heart to share with him... you say, "No one is perfect, we've all made mistakes, however, if you chose to cry out to God, He will not ignore you, He will hear your cry."
You know he needed to hear this, you believe with every part of you he will hand his life over to God, possibly that night...you did your bit and you know God will do the rest.
You say goodbye and he leaves, you decide to leave something for him at the bakery (he is a regular visitor there). Your heart is full of LOVE for him and for God, your eyes are weeping with tears because of what has just occurred. What a privilege to be used by God in such a way..You feel humbled, you have JOY in your heart, You know without a doubt your unexpected stop was planned by GOD. That old man was the old man your husband bumped into, as soon as he did, he knew God had planned that exact encounter with this dear old man, on this forever memorable day...
Myself, Shane, Elissa and Serena will FOREVER remember Batemans Bay N.S.W for this very reason. We feel EXTREMELY privileged to have spent time with Alfio...I Hope and Pray I am able to give Alfio a HUGE hug in Heaven one day xoxox
I just want to add, we have ministered to quite a lot of people as we have travelled through Victoria and now N.S.W, however, for some reason Alfio has really touched my heart like none other..It may be because I've looked into the eyes of a dieing man as we ministered to him, it could be God's heavy presence upon us as we ministered to him...One thing I know in my heart is, I would have sold everything and travelled Australia for just one man...for Alfie xo
I do not ever mean to brag of what we are doing, I only wish to share and encourage others. God is moving in our life, God is using us, however, we are NO different to you, God can move in your life and use you for HIS plan...Step out and take the plunge, it is worth it..HE IS WORTH IT xoxoxox
Thank YOU GOD...for allowing Shane, Myself and our BEAUTIFUL Girls to be a part of your WONDERFUL plans for Australia, we feel blessed and privileged...We ADORE You GOD and it goes without saying, all the GLORY is YOURS, now and forever xoxox
If you are praying for us, THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOO VERY MUCH...We believe GOD hears your prayers and ours xoxoxox
Love from Dimi xoxox
