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Stories & Blog
Her Very First Prayer
ITALY — Plates and forks clattered together as an espresso machine whirred behind the counter of the small café.
“I’ve never talked to God,” Elena said to Crossworld workers Sam and Joan. “I don’t even know how.”
At age 67, Elena was polished in the Italian way of life, but she knew nothing about following Jesus.
For Sam and Joan, too, this was a unique experience. They had prayed for many years with Elena’s mother-in-law, Gianna, for Elena’s salvation. “When I go to be with the Lord, my son and his wife will be saved,” Gianna had always said. And sure enough, at Gianna’s funeral just days earlier, her son trusted Jesus. Now it was Elena’s turn. She had joined Sam and Joan for dinner to talk about what it means to trust Christ.
“Are you ready to follow Him?” Joan asked. “You don’t need to put on a show to talk to Jesus. Just pour out your heart to Him.”
So Elena did. And as she closed her eyes and began to pray, the clattering of dishes and the whir of espresso melted into the background. Even the noise of neighboring conversations seemed to fade away for Elena.
“I trust you, Lord. Forgive me and make me Yours.”
When Elena opened her eyes and looked up from the first prayer in her 67 years, everything had changed. She was now a child of God.
With tears she asked, “Are we still in this restaurant?”
Sam and Joan smiled with their new sister in Christ.
Italicized names were changed to protect identities.
“I’ve never talked to God,” Elena said to Crossworld workers Sam and Joan. “I don’t even know how.”
At age 67, Elena was polished in the Italian way of life, but she knew nothing about following Jesus.
For Sam and Joan, too, this was a unique experience. They had prayed for many years with Elena’s mother-in-law, Gianna, for Elena’s salvation. “When I go to be with the Lord, my son and his wife will be saved,” Gianna had always said. And sure enough, at Gianna’s funeral just days earlier, her son trusted Jesus. Now it was Elena’s turn. She had joined Sam and Joan for dinner to talk about what it means to trust Christ.
“Are you ready to follow Him?” Joan asked. “You don’t need to put on a show to talk to Jesus. Just pour out your heart to Him.”
So Elena did. And as she closed her eyes and began to pray, the clattering of dishes and the whir of espresso melted into the background. Even the noise of neighboring conversations seemed to fade away for Elena.
“I trust you, Lord. Forgive me and make me Yours.”
When Elena opened her eyes and looked up from the first prayer in her 67 years, everything had changed. She was now a child of God.
With tears she asked, “Are we still in this restaurant?”
Sam and Joan smiled with their new sister in Christ.
Italicized names were changed to protect identities.
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