Called Out

Two women were heading to the worst part of the city to pray.  They had a few used purses filled with necessary items that they were going to give to the women living on the streets.  When they first arrived in this part of the city they spent the first while worshipping in a small church in the area.  This had been the habit of these women for some time.

At the end of this time of worship and as they were leaving the church a man came up to them and directed them, urgently pointing,  “You must call emergency services.  You must call emergency services, there is a man who has fallen down.” 

The women called emergency services and two paramedics arrived within a few minutes.  A man was on the ground.  He must have fallen in a strange way for his head was askew and his arms were twisted around.  His lips were blue and his face was ashen.  He did not seem to be alive.

The paramedics gave him a shot of a medicine meant to help in recovery from a heroin overdose.  And they waited.  The medicine did nothing.  The paramedics spoke,  “It’s not working. He is not coming to.” 

Upon hearing this one of the women all of a sudden cried out in a loud voice,  “Jesus, you must save this man. Jesus save this man!” 

Hearing this, the other woman fell to her knees and with one hand on the man’s foot and the other hand on her friends foot she began calling out,  “Buddy, you must come back.  You have things to accomplish on this earth still.  God is not done with you yet!  Come on fellow, come back, Jesus is not done with you yet!” 

The paramedics stood back in silence and watched and waited.  And the man began to move.  He opened his eyes.  The paramedics helped him to turn over and sit up.  The man regained consciousness and began to speak.  The paramedics told him,  “Hey guy, you were gone but these women prayed for you!”  

After getting the man into the ambulance and on his way to hospital the paramedics turned to the women and thanked them for their prayers and for being there that day for that man.

This story is the exact picture of what our hearts are to be for others.  Each and every day we have opportunity to be calling out people into their identity and into life in God and the purposes they have in the Lord.

As I read this story I notice a few things: 

1. the women had compassion for this man they did not know
2. they did not hold his drug-laden state against him
3. they saw past his trouble and failure to who he was
4. they knew God had created him for many good things
5. they refused to condemn or shame or turn away from him
6. they cried out in love for God to touch him and make him well
7. they called out to God
8. they called out to the man himself
9. they declared his value and worth in this world
10. they called the man back to his life and to God
11. the man lived

This is the heart of a restorative mindset.  With a heart committed to restoration we call people out to their best life.  We call them into their identity in God.  We call them into the purposes that God has created for them.  We call them out and into life.

We are able to do this as we know God doing this for us.  God is calling us out (of darkness) and into our identity in him as sons and daughters of the most high King.  God is calling us out to purpose in his Kingdom.  He knows the best about you.  He sees beyond your struggles and trouble and failure and sin.  He sees a precious person.

• An excerpt from CCIM College