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My trip to Puerto Rico
by Greg Robbins Back in 1985, I was a young man and very zealous for God. During the first few months of that year a strange phenomenon happened to me. Every time I closed my eyes, either during the daytime, or at night in preparation to sleep: once my eyes were closed, I saw a map of Puerto Rico. There was also a knowing that I was to go there. So as the months progressed, I made preparations to go, and I saved up a few hundred dollars to begin the trip with. I packed my suitcases and got on a plane. I was like Abraham who, "Went out, not knowing wither he went." I arrived in San Juan, not knowing a single person, or anything of substance about Puerto Rico either. At the airport, by asking questions, I found a shuttle to take me down to the beach area. The shuttle driver suggested a small motel for me to stay in. I took his advice. What I didn't know, because no one told me, was that the entire beach area is world famous for homosexuals. I noticed men going two by two into the rooms. I was extremely homophobic at the time so this caused me much turmoil. I started going out, taking buses, and getting to know the city. San Juan is beautiful. Especially the beach areas, and Old San Juan, where the old city is walled and has two Spanish Castles. I enjoyed myself doing the tourist things, but by Friday night I was full of worry and fear. My money was running low and I saw no possibilities to work, as I didn't speak Spanish well. That night I sought the Lord by pouring my heart tearfully out to him. He brought to my remembrance these verses in Saint Matthew's Gospel. Matthew 6:25-34 "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink: nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take thought for raiment? consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness: and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." These verses calmed me down. A great peace flooded my soul. I was very serious about trusting God and him keeping his promises. I told the Lord that the next day I was going to enjoy my vacation until the money ran out. If he didn't provide more, then I would return home and tell everyone I knew that faith doesn't work. I was that serious about it. The next morning I went out enjoying the sights. I felt joyful and carefree. I returned to my room in the afternoon to take a nap. In the late afternoon I went to the bus stop. A young man came by and handed me a gospel tract. I took it and began to read. It started out, "Do you have big problems? Maybe your problem is one or more of the following: 1. Lack of faith. 2. Lack of money." That was as far as I read. I took off running after the young man. One of the group spoke english and I began to pour my situation out to him. He said he would come to get me the next morning to go to his church. He would also call the mother of the pastor, who ran the church office, to tell her about me. After the service the pastor called for me. He said that his mother had called him the night before to tell him about me. He said that God spoke to them both very strongly about receiving me. He also said, "I want to say thank you. Many people have come here telling us that they came by faith. You are the first person who actually came by faith. God spoke clearly to us about what we are to do for you. Thank you." They put me in a very nice condominium that they owned a few blocks from their church, rent free. They bought all the start up things like towels, sheets, dishes, and food. They also gave me a job in cleaning and maintaining the church building. I was received, literally, as part of the church family. Later I was talking with one of the associate pastors. He said, "You don't know what a very big miracle has taken place. They have NEVER received anyone as they have received you. Because of persecution and lies being told, they make everyone wait a year under probation before receiving them. There are men in the church who would quit a good paying job just to have the job you now have, because they want to be a part of the ministry. And yet you just arrived here and they have done all of these things for you. I just wanted you to know what a very big miracle has happened to you." Friends, make sure that you are in God's perfect will for your life and wonderful things will happen to you. http://jesuswordsonly.org My books on Amazon/Kindle https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Gregory+Robbins Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |