Simplice
I am currently working in Benin, West Africa with Mercy Ships. This is my third time to this country and am thankful that each time I come here I make new friends as well as catch up with old ones.
This past Saturday I was able to visit one of those old friends, Simplice. Simplice is a young boy who I met with his grandmother 4 years ago when he was 6 years old. I was working and living with a small team in the area where Simplice lived. We had shown the Jesus Film and began a weekly Bible study in his village. Simplice's grandmother, Josephine brought him to the bible study to see if we could help. Simplice had cataracts in both eyes and only had about 10% of his vision. In the West this is a simple surgery but to those that live on about $1 a day it's not so easy. Even though the surgery schedule was full, space was made for Simplice. He had the surgery and his sight greatly improved.
Two years later, when the ship was docked in nearby Togo, I was able to visit the family once again. It was a great reunion but I was troubled because I noticed that even though Simplice could see better there was still some room for improvement.
This past November when the ship returned to Benin I went to see Simplice and make an appointment for him to come to the ship for the doctor to evaluate if there was any more that could be done. Unfortunately, there wasn't any more help that we could give due to neurological damage. I felt discouraged and helpless that I couldn't do any more for Simplice. In my discouragement God touched me through Josephine as she looked at me and spoke these three words, "you love people". Through her words I felt God saying to me, "well done good and faithful servant." This reminded me of what I knew all along; I must show compassion and help people with any means I have available to me but the greatest thing I can do is to love people.
1Cor. 13:3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.
posted by Jenni @ 4:23 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Jenni,
Thank you for your thoughts on loving others. Your story and scripture were so meaningful as I am asking God to help me do just that. Well done, fellow servant!
Renae
I read about Simplice, but I wonder if anyone led him to the Lord? I was in a ministry with International Students for 25 years and regret that most of that time I felt that these students were not ready to receive the Lord, so led very few of them to Christ. Showing mercy is great and should be used as an avenue to lead people to Christ. Maybe you are assuming this is a "given". I hope so. Love in Christ, Jonnard
Thank you for your comment. I am happy to say that Simplice and his grandmother have been on a journey that has led them to Christ. Four years ago a team started a weekly Bible study after showing the Jesus Film. This is where I first met Simplice. A local pastor kept the bible study going after the team left. It is now a church of which Simplice and Josephine are faithful members. Every time I am with them I speak(by action or word) of the love of Jesus, I can't help it! But, I do not see showing mercy as an "avenue" to lead them to Christ, I see it as imitating Christ. Sometimes the former can be viewed as conditional love, love with a "hook", there's a catch to it. I plan on writing more on this in the next few days. Thanks again for your comment, I think I did take it as a "given"
Blessings, Jenni
love you, Jenni. You do love people and it is so obvious. - a very touching post. I am up in the middle of the night feeding sweet Andrew so I really should be back in bed, but what a great word of encouragement to me to love others. imitators of Christ-couldn't that really sum up our lives goals? I am thinking of you and praying for us this early am!
lots of love,
Molly
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