Laura Ignatowski

God is always with us. He is with us when we enjoy walks through flowery fields, fierce forests, or along sandy beaches. He is with us during our celebrations as well as our tribulations. Sometimes we might encounter situations in which we feel darkness overwhelming us, but darkness cannot exist without light. God‘s light always shines, we just have to put our eyes on Jesus Christ. We need to rejoice in hope, persevere in tribulation and be devoted to prayer. It sounds easier than it is, but when you precede everything with faith, you will see that it works!

At university, I was faced with a situation that hurt me. Our professor was once again criticizing Christianity by citing Spinoza, a Dutch philosopher and defender of Rationalism. As I looked around me, I saw my fellow classmates being deceived right in front of my eyes. I tried raising my hand to put forth counter arguments, but a combination of fear and neglect prevented me from being heard. After class, I left; close to tears. Why was I sad?, you might ask. It was not just because I saw my unprofessional professor deceive the whole class, I felt like even though I tried, I could not make a difference. I could not speak up for my Kingdom, my future home. I failed at being a good servant. I felt sorry and incredibly useless.

The devil likes to use these periods throughout our days to slowly creep back into our lives. The only thing I thought to do was run into Jesus’ arms, even though I was ashamed and disappointed in myself. I needed to be in Jesus’ arms, so I praised and prayed. During my conversation with the Lord, I laid bare all the baggage I carried with me. Instead of shouting, screaming, and punishment, I felt the weight being lifted off my shoulders. It was like a warm, gentle hug and a whisper that said: “It is going to be okay.” So I kept on praying and asked God to continue to show His presence in my life. Praying for God to show me He has not given up on me yet.

Meanwhile in the physical realm, I stepped onto the train platform, waiting for my train back home. The spring wind was warm, not too warm. I sat down as someone suddenly smiled at me and waved. I turned and greeted back a tall man who wore a dark blue shirt with “London” written on it. The first things I noticed was his tan skin, his joyful smile, and his sparkling eyes. After a few minutes of small talk, he told me he was a Christian from Egypt, who lived in Germany for more than 10 years already. He loved Jesus and showed me his beloved cross necklace. My heart almost jumped out of my rib cage as I heard this man speak these sounds of joy. So I told him that I was his sister in Christ and showed him my necklace. Delighted, he reached into his backpack and handed me a picture of Jesus Christ and said: “This is a gift for you!”

We talked about our Faith, my saddening experience at university, and Christian persecution worldwide. I explained that it was a miracle that I had met him that day. He must have been God sent. Slightly shy, he shook his head smiling, almost in disbelief that he was the answer to my prayer that day. He continued to send blessings along my way and hoped that I would succeed in everything I wished for.

Everything I got to do was a miracle and a gift from above. However, this particular chat I had with this stranger will be a memory I will never forget. I felt God right in our midst. Talking to him about our love for Christ and our hope that the deceived might find their way to the Almighty, moved me. So yes, God was there with me when I was frustrated and sad in the classroom. And He was also with me when I rejoiced as my hope was restored. There is no one like our Lord. All of our days, we should praise the wonders of His mighty love. I strive to build up courage to continue to fight for God‘s kingdom to the best of my abilities. Thank you God for not forsaking me, but for loving me. And for loving the reader of this blog post. God is with you, His miracle 🙂