Am I Awake?

There is a song by Michael Drake Margolnick called "Am I Awake?" and it's been running through my head today. May I stay awake during this hour that is very near to the end. Time is nothing to God. He can come back any second, but am I ready? Am I awake?

It's not often you get to be in the most incredible meetings with the most incredible people. When I say incredible, I am not talking about your average "Joe Christian." Today, I met two refugees who escaped a well-known Middle Eastern country about one year ago. They love Jesus and have been trying to get to America to go to seminary for one year now. They have also suffered greatly.

They are a young husband and wife who, by God's grace, were able to escape this particular country in the Middle East after planting a few underground churches there. This particular country has one of the fastest growing Christian churches right now as there are known to be about 4 million Christians underground. However, if you were once a Muslim and either convert to Christianity or convert someone else from the Muslim faith you can be arrested and suffer very severe punishments or even death.

The stories the husband told me today through the translation of Josh were amazing! I could not believe I was in that room. I felt like I was in a board meeting with the UN or top officials of the government! In the Spirit, these people were some of the top officials. They have endured many hardships to even make it to this country. They are trying to make it to the US of A and I pray they will one day get there. Hopefully sooner than later.

They cooked us a traditional meal from their country that was delicious. I love Middle Eastern food by the way! It's sooo good! There is a lot of rice which I love! Anyway, as they shared their testimony, I just felt like I take my freedoms for granted so much in my own country.

These people have been persecuted tremendously and yet they have so much joy! They have seen the love of the Father in the midst of their circumstances. What do I truly know about suffering for Jesus? I am learning a lot and my heart is being touched so deeply here.