Maedchen
Member
Actually I did not have in mind to write the following testimony. But then a dear person whom I trust and respect asked me to post it here, in order to maybe "encourage or inspire" one reader or the other.
So here is another testimony :
I just came home after walking in the park. It was raining immensely, but still I enjoyed the fresh air after work. The park has been a golf course once, now it is a huge area to walk along meadows, a river, wood and also along a train track.
When I arrived at the part along the train track, I noticed someone standing on it. The trains are driving frequently there, and also fast. Since there were no other people around, I stopped and looked if that person would move away from the track. But he didn't. The access there is easy.
To be honest, I myself thought not only once to end my life there.
I felt the urge to step nearer to that person. I did, and shouted to him, asking what he was doing there. The man shouted back to me that I should leave him alone. I did not need to think very much in order to know that this man was about to commit suicide. Oh, it seemed as if I was led there!
I shouted again to him and asked him to please leave the track. But again he answered in the same way as before. Then I noticed that he was crying heavily. I was close to him, but first I feared to go onto the track myself. But he did not move. I tried to stay calm, not knowing when the next train was coming. He stood there and cried. And I stood beside the track and prayed to Jesus that he would please help.
Then I started to talk to that man, I told him that I can understand feelings of pain and despair. And that I even had had the same thing in mind that he now was trying to accomplish. First he did not look at me. But after a while he turned his head to me and looked into my eyes from that short distance. He was of course all wet because of the rain. But I still could see his sad, crying eyes. It broke my heart to see him stand there. I could not help but step onto the track myself. I went to him, while he only stood still and watched me coming. Then I laid my hand on his arm and stood there without talking. We both just looked at each other, and we both cried.
Total strangers, but we cried together. Then I seized him softly away from the track onto the walking path. I offered him to come under my umbrella and to walk with me a bit. So he did.
He must be a little older than me. He began to tell me about the broken relationship to his girlfriend. How she left him, and how much he had tried to get her back. He just could not stand to live without her, he told me.
So I listened to him. Really, I did only listen. I did not know how to comfort him first.
But then, after he had stopped talking and began to cry again, I started to tell him a bit about Jesus. His sacrifice for us, his pain, his loneliness on the cross.
He listened and somehow he managed to get calmer.
I offered him to bring him to his home, but he had his own car parked at the park.
But when I wanted to say good bye to him, he took my hand and held it firmly.
He asked me to give him my contact address. He said that he needed to talk to me further.
He wanted not to leave me without me giving him my telephone number. So I did.
That was 2 days ago. Since then I met him once again. He is not a Christian, but of course I won't reveal more about our confidential talk.
What I am learning through this new experience is that such a person in need of compassion cannot be satisfied by giving him the address of a church or some contact address of a pastor unknown to this person.
As far as I got to know this sad man and his feelings, I understand how important it is to go out of our way and show interest in the problems, thoughts and needs of another person. Only through personal sympathy we are able to hopefully point a sorrowful heart to our dear Lord Jesus, who is waiting to embrace him (see Philippians 2:4).
I pray that Jesus will use me as His tool for showing him God's grace and love.
May God bless all of you,
love, Rose
So here is another testimony :
I just came home after walking in the park. It was raining immensely, but still I enjoyed the fresh air after work. The park has been a golf course once, now it is a huge area to walk along meadows, a river, wood and also along a train track.
When I arrived at the part along the train track, I noticed someone standing on it. The trains are driving frequently there, and also fast. Since there were no other people around, I stopped and looked if that person would move away from the track. But he didn't. The access there is easy.
To be honest, I myself thought not only once to end my life there.
I felt the urge to step nearer to that person. I did, and shouted to him, asking what he was doing there. The man shouted back to me that I should leave him alone. I did not need to think very much in order to know that this man was about to commit suicide. Oh, it seemed as if I was led there!
I shouted again to him and asked him to please leave the track. But again he answered in the same way as before. Then I noticed that he was crying heavily. I was close to him, but first I feared to go onto the track myself. But he did not move. I tried to stay calm, not knowing when the next train was coming. He stood there and cried. And I stood beside the track and prayed to Jesus that he would please help.
Then I started to talk to that man, I told him that I can understand feelings of pain and despair. And that I even had had the same thing in mind that he now was trying to accomplish. First he did not look at me. But after a while he turned his head to me and looked into my eyes from that short distance. He was of course all wet because of the rain. But I still could see his sad, crying eyes. It broke my heart to see him stand there. I could not help but step onto the track myself. I went to him, while he only stood still and watched me coming. Then I laid my hand on his arm and stood there without talking. We both just looked at each other, and we both cried.
Total strangers, but we cried together. Then I seized him softly away from the track onto the walking path. I offered him to come under my umbrella and to walk with me a bit. So he did.
He must be a little older than me. He began to tell me about the broken relationship to his girlfriend. How she left him, and how much he had tried to get her back. He just could not stand to live without her, he told me.
So I listened to him. Really, I did only listen. I did not know how to comfort him first.
But then, after he had stopped talking and began to cry again, I started to tell him a bit about Jesus. His sacrifice for us, his pain, his loneliness on the cross.
He listened and somehow he managed to get calmer.
I offered him to bring him to his home, but he had his own car parked at the park.
But when I wanted to say good bye to him, he took my hand and held it firmly.
He asked me to give him my contact address. He said that he needed to talk to me further.
He wanted not to leave me without me giving him my telephone number. So I did.
That was 2 days ago. Since then I met him once again. He is not a Christian, but of course I won't reveal more about our confidential talk.
What I am learning through this new experience is that such a person in need of compassion cannot be satisfied by giving him the address of a church or some contact address of a pastor unknown to this person.
As far as I got to know this sad man and his feelings, I understand how important it is to go out of our way and show interest in the problems, thoughts and needs of another person. Only through personal sympathy we are able to hopefully point a sorrowful heart to our dear Lord Jesus, who is waiting to embrace him (see Philippians 2:4).
I pray that Jesus will use me as His tool for showing him God's grace and love.
May God bless all of you,
love, Rose
