Church Planting Movements: The Grim Reaper and POP's

The Grim Reaper and POP's

The Grim Reaper was on the prowl. By Grim Reaper in this case, I am referring to a personal pet name given to one of several cab companies (a.k.a., Gemah Repah) in Bng, sia. At the completion of a course, which helps to further coach others, I looked forward to a quiet evening at a nearby restaurant.

Admittedly, a low-grade level of dread grew at the precise moment as I needed to hail the services of said taxi company. Past experiences with cabs in this city had been less than pleasant. The ensuing conversation with the desired cab drivers followed.

“Good evening sir, I would like to be taken to

my hotel at _____ address. I desire to

only use the meter price,” I ventured.

Their responses followed.  “That is impossible. We will ask the following

price and nothing less,” they asserted.

I did definitely not like this instant recollection of life experience among the disposition of the general population of Sese.

At that very moment the two roads of choice lay clearly before me. A few words scrolled past my frustrated mind in the first road, thankfully not taken. The second road meant I would pound the pavement in hopes of acquiring another ride.

The high road perhaps for some might include the choice to smile and just say no thank you and then reoffer yourself as their compliant, though milked for resources, passenger.

As I considered the options, the traffic, the lack of evenly paved sidewalks, and the lateness of the evening; the best option seemed to be to walk until I could arrive at another spot where taxis gathered. The public buses were brim full with evening passengers as they scurried to make quick escape from the wetness of the nighttime precipitation.

The hunt for another taxi began on an agitated note in my heart as I walked in the general direction of my hotel. Rain began to descend as my tired condition increased. The Spirit prompted me to give this slight agitated state of my countenance to Him. As I walked a struggle in my spirit grew. At this moment the power of worship took over.

To choose to sing songs of worship and praise was the transformational key, which unlocked the door to God’s heart for me on this evening. As I praised, I remembered. As I remembered I grew in gratefulness. Gratefulness took over the momentary and light grumblings and inclination to whine (self pity) as I recalled the 21 years prior when Bng and all of its congestion was home to our family.

If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness for His namesake.   I John 1:9, Ephesian 5:18

In these many years since our family’s move to another area of this archipelago to focus on 3 other Muslim unreached people groups, we have always known the Lord to be faithful. Memories of God’s faithfulness flooded my mind on this monsoon impacted evening; tears of struggle in a new culture, longings to be with family and friends in our home culture, yearnings to gain the language in the midst of the beginning years, adjustments in bringing our precious two small children to this place.

As I continued in the mist of the descending rainfall on a wobbly path of displaced paving block, I sang. Songs of worship lifted my heart that evening and gave clarity to receive what Kingdom realities the Spirit wanted to lead me to in the next few moments. Confession of stanky attitudes and self-pity were dialogued with my ABBA. Then, to ask to be cleansed and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit brought about the needed transformation in my heart.

After a brief walk I arrived at one of those spots where other cab companies awaited passengers. Amazingly, I found a willing and helpful driver. My mind was cleared, my heart was renewed, and I was an available vessel for the Master.

The short journey to my hotel began with a desire to share of the goodness of Allah (shemah statements) meant to engage the Sese Muslim driver related to his family. To which he immediately described the painful departure of his wife from their family in favor of another man. I felt led to share with him how much his leadership and care for his sons in the midst of suffering was that which reminded me of God’s heart.

After desiring to express compassion for this man, I then explained that the issue for all of mankind is that we are sinful and hurt God and one another. In 3 minutes time, I then related God’s desire to have relationship with man and yet because of man’s sin, we are separated from God and therefore cannot know God for who He truly is.

As is the pattern in seeking after Persons of Peace as delineated in Luke 10 in the process of trusting God for launching Church Planting Movements, I invited this man to study the stories with his family from the Taurat, Zabur, and Injil (Muslim understanding of what is considered to them as Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures). Though I offered to connect him up with Sese followers of Isa Al Masih and to discover Allah’s heart and plan for his life, the man declined.

To a hurting Muslim man, the non-obvious choice of transport to a foreign woman, and to the heart of mankind God speaks. He arranges the affairs of man to lead those who follow Him into the moment-by-moment delight of Him. And out of the overflow of that intimacy we speak, we live, we demonstrate, and we proclaim His glorious ways.

The driver didn’t trust Christ that night but He did understand, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that God could be known only through Christ.

This journey began with a desire to simply secure transport back to my hotel in order bed down for the night. What was to be the true journey was a reminder that it is not about the “taxi” ride, it is about the process of the journey as we yield or not to His bidding. And no matter the inconvenience, and no matter the perceived miscues of our own well-laid plans, God is worthy of being Lord over all. 

The Gemah Repah taxi service had not their way on this night. Rather, a God who desires my heart to be walking in a manner worthy, moment by moment empowered by the Holy Spirit, captured my prone to wander affections once again.

RA