I was in a hurry. I wanted to buy some flowers for our host before we left the city where we were staying and my husband was working. We stopped by the store, and I searched for just the right flowers. I noticed a plant that had the loveliest white flowers. I recalled that she had a small one that had not yet grown. This one was full grown and beautiful. I love white flowers, because they remind me of purity.
I was purchasing the flowers in a hurry. For some reason, the young man at the cashiers’ counter caught my attention. I looked at him and then at his nametag. It read Andres. This is Spanish for Andrew.
He was looking at the plant and commenting on how beautiful it was. I said, “Andres, that is a beautiful name! It is Andrew in English. It is the name of one of the disciples that Jesus chose to follow Him.” He boldly responded, “And it is the name that I was given when I was adopted from St. Mary’s orphanage.” I was so surprised! I didn’t know how to respond.
Now there was another customer behind me. I looked at Andres and said, “Andres, do you know Jesus?” He looked at me as if puzzled. I didn’t know what to do because the man who was behind me surely wanted to simply check out his items, yet there I was starting a conversation with the cashier.
I hid my face behind the plant to give me the courage to keep talking to Andres. I then asked him, “Have you ever asked Jesus to be your personal Savior?” I rushed the conversation because of the man behind me. He had stepped closer to me. I didn’t want to look at this face because I knew I might lose courage.
Andres responded, “Yes, every day.” I said, “Andres, you have to ask Him once. Let me help you do that.” He placed the plant between us. Exactly what I needed. I could feel the man behind me getting impatient. But, I had to see to Andres’s soul.
I said, “Andres, pray with me.” He stopped working and faced me. The man behind me moved to the cashier next to us. “Thank You, Lord!” I thought. “Now I can take my time to pray with Andrew.”
Andres and I were now standing eye to eye. His eyes were deep and serious. We started praying. Andres got excited as he prayed. He asked Jesus to be his personal Savior and asked Him to cleanse him of all his sins as he repented. Then he said that he gave his life to Him and asked Jesus to take his life to glory with Him.
He then put the plant in my hands as he thanked me. His eyes were glowing! He couldn’t stop thanking me! I said, “Andres, now you belong to Jesus. No one can take you out of His hands, and you will be in heaven!” He thanked me again several times.
Andres was not only adopted by someone who now is his family, but he has been adopted by God, the Father, through His Son, Jesus Christ, and is now in the family of God!
“Abba, Father, How You love to bring more children into Your home!”
“Jesus, because of You alone, those who believe in You are adopted by the Father.
We praise You and give You all the glory!”
“Holy Spirit, no hurried heart can interfere with Your help to tell a soul about Jesus!
Thank You!”
Ephesians 1:3-7 (KJV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;