Wow, I was convicted and inspired by the post below!
(It came from here: http://www.independentmail.com/blogs/take-it-man/2008/nov/08/take_it_man/)
What do you think? Where are your priorities? What are you sold out to?
Muslims
Posted November 8, 2008
This evening after watching Clemson get so far behind the Seminoles it no longer mattered, I headed over to Target for some bibs for Ella.
Nothing spectacular. Just a random Saturday evening errand.
Little did I know I was in for a sight that very nearly knocked my flip-flops off.
As I was leaving the Target/Lowe's ginormous parking lot area, I noticed a small man, curled up on a towel on the driver's side of his small car.
At first, I thought the man was sick, or perhaps even injured. Or, perhaps he'd dropped his car keys and was groping around in the fading light in search of them.
Pulling closer, I realized this small man was not sick, injured, or searching for his car keys.
He was praying.
He was facing east. It was dusk. And, he was praying.
Obviously, the man was muslim. The towel was his prayer mat.
He was following the muslim ritual of evening prayer, facing Mecca, before the sun fell below the horizon.
It was undoubtedly the fourth of five prayers this man will pray today before he turns in for the night. Muslims pray at first light, at noon, in the early afternoon, at dusk, and once again after full darkness.
As I sat in my car and watched him, I noticed he paid no attention to anyone, or anything else. Cars passed, gawkers gawked, and this simple man prayed until his prayer was done.
I was at Target to buy bibs. And, he had obviously been at Target to buy something, too. But, when the time came, he stopped dead in his tracks to pray.
I was just hoping to get home in time to watch Alabama finish off LSU.
As a Christian, I do not agree with the theology behind Islam; however, as a man of faith, I cannot help but respect this man's discipline, purpose, and total disregard for what other's might have thought of him.
He was going to pray. Location, circumstance, and outward appearances made no difference to him.
I guess you could say that it had a profound impact on me.
I hesitate to raise my hand during worship. Don't wanna look stupid.
If I dropped to me knees in the Target parking lot and began pleading for the souls of my lost family members, I bet my wife would call 9-1-1 thinking I'd had a stroke.
Yet, this man's wife sat quietly in the passenger's seat. She was not the least bit surprised her husband was stopping everything to pray.
I guess what I'm getting at is that, while I do not envy this man's belief system, I'm somewhat envious of how much he is sold out to it.
And I struggle to come to grips with the fact that, while this man believes he must work his way to heaven, I am freed by the work my Savior has already done. And yet, it's that man who is willing to act out his faith in the parking lot of Target.
What would happen if I stopped in my tracks in the parking lot of Target, fell to my face, and prayed for the guy here in my apartment complex whom I know is searching for the Truth?
God help me. I'm worried about what people think and how it might look. And my friends are dying spiritually.
Lord, help me. My knees are weak. My priorities are completely whack.
3 comments:
completely eye opening. It really is something, isn't it? Having that kind of dedication.
This has encouraged me. Thanks for that.
Your welcome!
I remember in 1994 my parents took us to see some world cup soccer games in Dallas. As the game was going on, at precisely noon, all of the Islamic media on the sidelines and behind the goals stopped, kneeled, and prayed. I was fairly young and had no clue what was going on, but it definately left an impression on me because I can still remember it to this day. Shouldn't we have at least this much dedication?
Nathan L.
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