"If it wasn't sweet to me..."

...I would not have come."

These are the words from a Muslim man who followed our team back from the dirty village streets one day.  He was persistent in telling us that he had heard "truth" from us.  We asked him if he understood what we had been telling people - Jesus is the Son of God.

He firmly said, "Yes, if it wasn't sweet to me, I would not have come."  

He listened again to the story of Creation until the final days of Christ and our hope in the resurrected Savior, then professed his belief.

A former Muslim living in a dark, dark place where everyone will hate him and boycott him, professed Jesus as Savior, no matter the cost.

And the cost is so much greater than we, as Americans, can ever understand or comprehend.

The cost of his family disowning him, the village community not allowing him to buy food at the market (therefore, he may starve), and even the cost of losing his life.

But it was "sweet" to his ears and his heart, so he came & he believed.


As I sit here, I am trying to wrap my brain and emotions around the last week, the only thing that keeps coming to mind are his words......

"if it wasn't sweet to me, I would not have come."

I can second those exact words.

If the gospel was not sweet to me, I would not have gone.  

I would not have left my husband, my two sons or the comforts of my home and country.

I would not have traveled across an ocean, for fear of possibly losing my own life in the process.

But He is faithful to provide in our weaknesses.

So since it is also "sweet to me"; I came, I went, I spoke and I loved.

We came, we went, we spoke, we loved.

 And whether it was with a smile, or a laugh...

or a simple game of peek-a-boo.....

or posing with a precious African girl in our big American sunglasses,

or the touch of a loving hand,

or sharing Bible stories to ears that have never heard....

or encouraging the hearts that now believe.....

It was sweet.  

His love is so very sweet.  

Yet, the blessing we were trying to pour out on these beautiful people, 

came two-fold back to us in return.

Their smiles, laughs, and especially their words of strength, boldness and bravery, encouraged us......

 and our faith became a little bolder, a little stronger and a little more precious too.

Bye Bye, sweet Africa.

May we meet again...

....but until then, remember, He is so sweet.  

"How sweet are Your words to my taste!  

Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"

Psalm 119:103