A few weeks ago I was not expecting I would hang out with African women in their hair braiding shop, but sometimes you just have to take advantage of rare opportunities! A friend of mine spent the past 8 months in NY learning the language of a certain people group from Africa. When she came back to the Tidewater area she found a shop where women from that same country worked so she could reach out to them and continue practicing their language. Since one of the women is 8 months pregnant (like yours truly) my friend invited me to join her to go visit these lovely ladies the following week. I gathered up some baby items into a gift bag and off we went. I was definitely out of my comfort zone since I don’t speak their language and their English was limited. Walking into this hair braiding shop was like walking into a different country, and I loved it. There is so much to learn from other cultures. We spent time chatting about life, their homes, and the families they miss. My friend shared a Bible story with them in their heart language while I prayed. She offered to pray for them and although they are not Christians, they happily agreed. Before leaving she gave them a copy of the DVD Magdalena (the story of Jesus from Mary Magdalene’s perspective) in their language.
Sometimes fear keeps us from stepping out of our comfort zone to reach out to others. Sometimes it’s laziness or unbelief but God calls us to reach the nations, to be salt and light (Mt. 5:13-16), and to love Him more than our own comfort. I encourage you to look for opportunities to reach out to people who you normally would never talk to. You might be surprised how easy it is to find something you have in common, and go from there. Stay awake to opportunities God presents and be free to listen and to share some of your life. Don’t be afraid to ask someone how you can pray for them. You might be surprised how touched they are by your offer.
A few weeks ago I was not expecting I would hang out with African women in their hair braiding shop, but sometimes you just have to take advantage of rare opportunities! A friend of mine spent the past 8 months in NY learning the language of a certain people group from Africa. When she came back to the Tidewater area she found a shop where women from that same country worked so she could reach out to them and continue practicing their language. Since one of the women is 8 months pregnant (like yours truly) my friend invited me to join her to go visit these lovely ladies the following week. I gathered up some baby items into a gift bag and off we went. I was definitely out of my comfort zone since I don’t speak their language and their English was limited. Walking into this hair braiding shop was like walking into a different country, and I loved it. There is so much to learn from other cultures. We spent time chatting about life, their homes, and the families they miss. My friend shared a Bible story with them in their heart language while I prayed. She offered to pray for them and although they are not Christians, they happily agreed. Before leaving she gave them a copy of the DVD Magdalena (the story of Jesus from Mary Magdalene’s perspective) in their language.