I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Revelation 1:18
We have had friends from Germany visiting us this week. They have been praying for me and wanted to come stay for a while to encourage us. The husband is German and the wife is Turkish-Kurdish.
They were very interested in a variety of American foods. My husband suggested a restaurant called The Cheesecake Factory, so that is where they tasted an array of foods.
The waitress who served us was very extroverted. She seemed to love her work and enjoyed meeting people. It was very easy to have conversations with her. I asked her where she was from. She said that she was from Serbia. Our Turkish-Kurdish friend could relate to the waitress’s culture and language. They began to share Serbian-culture language expressions. They both had fun exchanging cultural experiences.
I asked the waitress if she practiced any religion in her country. She said that she was Orthodox. I asked her if she knew about Jesus.
She said, “Oh, I have heard from the Jehovah’s Witnesses all about that. I know exactly what you are going to say. I have heard it all.”
I was not too sure what to say, but I continued, “Do you know that He is the Son of God?”
She looked at us, “Yes, I have heard that.”
I added, “Did you know that He loves you?”
She said, “Yes, I have heard that.”
I explained, “You know that those in that religion you mentioned have learned enough about the truth of the Bible to get you into the lie that they have believed. Don’t even compare it!” She listened as I continued, “Do you know that Jesus died and rose again? Do you know that He died on the cross for your sins and mine? Do you know what He went through for you?”
Her response was, “Thank you.” She smiled and left to serve another customer.
I wondered what attitude she would have when she returned. Much to my surprise, throughout the whole time that she served us, she kept a very gregarious attitude and continued to engage in conversation with each of us with much enthusiasm.
Because it was our friend’s birthday, a cheesecake of her choice was presented to her with a candle, as waitresses and waiters sang “Happy Birthday.”
As everyone talked with her, I took another opportunity to go back to the subject about Jesus.
I asked her, “Do you know where Jesus went after he died?”
She looked puzzled and intrigued. “Where?”
“To the enemy, the devil, for you. He took the keys of the power of death from him and told him that he could not have you anymore!”
She was stunned. “I never heard that!”
I told her, “You must believe in Jesus. He is the one who died and rose again for you, so that you would not be in hell, but in heaven with Him.” She started to cry. She left again to serve another customer.
When she returned, I excused myself and got up from the table. I said, “I want to talk with you.” I approached near her.
She said, “Let me go attend to someone else, and I will be right back.” I wondered if she would.
Our friends and my husband said that they had to go to the restroom. I was left with the paid check, and I was to add more to her tip. I thought, “Oh my, everyone has left, and I am left alone. This is the Lord! This is for her salvation.”
When the waitress returned, I asked her, “Are you ready now to believe in Jesus and ask Him to be the Saviour of your soul?” She drew very near me. “Let’s pray,” I said.
There, in the middle of a crowd feasting on their meals, this waitress was feasting on the truth about Jesus and asking Him to be her Saviour, as we prayed. We hugged tightly. I gave her my contact information, as we talked about the Bible. I exclaimed, “Now you have something to celebrate this Easter!”
Smiling joyfully, she said, “Yes, I do!”
This was not only about the experience at The Cheesecake Factory and a birthday celebration but also about the young woman’s soul birthed into the righteousness of Christ. What a birthday!
“Abba, Father, I was not too sure as to how to relate to this young woman to tell her about Your Son. I could not relate to her as my friend did. What could I say to get her heart’s attention? Lord Jesus, for this young woman to know where You had gone for three days after your death was what captured Your heart for her, and she began to cry. I was lost so many times in between the conversations as to what to say, but Your Spirit helped me. Thank You, Lord. Thank You!”