Thankful to suffer for Christ
Every Monday, the Dinangat Bible teachers gather to fellowship and encourage each other. Three teachers must hike from a distant village to attend this meeting. Every week at these meetings, missionary Gary Smith writes, there is praise offered up to God for safety on the journey of all who are in attendance.
This week, there is extra cause for praise.
Last Monday, three Bible teachers, Areke and his two friends, were approaching their village on their hike back home. Their path was dark and they had only one small flashlight to share.
Areke slipped on a wet rock in the darkness and a small knife shot through the bag he carried and pierced his side. His friends ripped off his shirt and covered the wound. Then the two friends struggled to help Areke cover the remaining distance of the steep hike up the mountain to their village.
Arriving home in the village, a closer look showed that the wound was severe. The knife had cut deep and Areke had lost a lot of blood. They sent for medical help.
The next day, a doctor hiked to the village to stitch up Areke’s wound. He also shared with Areke an interesting perspective.
The doctor told Areke that his ribs had saved his life by changing the direction of the knife blade. He is very thankful for God’s protection in this and that his wound was stitched up and is healing nicely.
But Areke says he is also thankful for something else. He is thankful for the opportunity to suffer for Jesus. Gary shares, “Areke says his desire is to be like Christ, so he is glad he was pierced in the side just as our Lord was.”