They were headed home when several Muslim men approached them for one reason—to warn and silence my friend Saide. Dangerous living among the religiously violent requires anonymity. Saide thought he he had been flying under the radar, but somehow word got out that he has been sharing Christ in this community nearly 100% Muslims.
The names have been changed but the story is real as it gets. I can’t even mention the location lest dark eyes fall upon this letter and put two and two together.
Saide was feeling led by the Holy Spirit to go to a certain village in a certain bordering nation to a certain man named Abdul. This man was an old friend of his grandfather but he had not been in touch with him for many years. As the story goes, Abdul had left his wife and 9 children some 35 years ago to marry a second wife. He never returned to them.
For two weeks Saide and Abdul met in secret as Saide shared stories of God from both Old and New Testaments. Abdul was living with Muslim friends at the time who would not take kindly to any stories about God and His Son. Stories were told quietly and questions were asked. As rain softens the sun hardened soil, little by little Abdul’s heart began to soften. Resistant at first, but in the end crossing from darkness to light, Abdul wanted to be baptized. Saide suggested they wait for baptism due to the dangers present, but that time will come.
Abdul felt he needed to return to his children whom he had left some 35 years ago to ask for their forgiveness. Could proof of regeneration be more evident? And so he did. Saide arranged it. Here’s what happened in Saide’s own words: “On Sunday I took him home, but have make an appointment with the children, they came to hear what I had to say. After reading the scriptures, Abdul apologized, he wept and his eldest son wept as well. We had a long talk, but God is good. Now Abdul is home with one of his children and grand children”.
