Nov 23rd, 2023: Diamonds in The Rough

Finding diamonds in the rough is God's way of telling us not to count anyone out when it comes to serving Him. I have witnessed that quite a few times, and it is a great privilege.

One of the instances was in my first year as a campus minister. A young math major student from Lebanon decided to join a Bible study group I led. He was skeptical at first, but he was more interested in Jesus' involvement with the underdogs. As time went on, he asked to talk to me about his addiction to shoplifting. Towards the end of that semester, he began to show more personal conviction about what he had learned from the Bible.

Once again, he asked to meet with me in private. He told me that he would like to be baptized but needed my help to visit all of the shops he stole from. We went into different shops and asked to meet with their managers. I introduced myself, my friend, and told him or her that my friend believed that he had stolen about $X worth of goods from the store and wanted to make it right by paying back. Can you imagine their facial expressions?

My friend graduated in Math, then went on to pursue a graduate degree in Theology. He is now pastoring a church in Lebanon.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9