It was an overcast, drizzly day in November when I sat in a local restaurant in The Balkans* listening with increasing interest to a new, yet familiar, story.
Entering the smoke-filled, pub-like restaurant, mostly made up of men sitting around small round tables, five Global Partners (GP) colleagues and I wove our way to the back of the restaurant to find a smoke-free area filled with the aroma of flavorful food. Newly assigned missionaries, Ken and Dawn — missionaries formerly serving in a bordering country for the past 12 years — shared their heart for the people of The Balkans over lunch. They had recently moved to the smaller city. Albanians make up over 95 percent of the population in their city, with the Muslim religion just as high. Our group listened with anticipation to the hope of reaching more for Christ in this town of 52,000.
Ken and Dawn had invited a partnering local Nazarene pastor to join us that day. Imir arrived about the time we were having after-lunch coffee. Imir’s smile and engaging introduction created an immediate connection with this looks-younger-than-his-age, mid-30-year-old.
“Tell us your story,” I said, after introductions. From the beginning, his story captured our attention.
Born in The Balkans to an agnostic father and a nominal Muslim mother, Imir sensed as a kid that he wanted to be a priest. Growing up in an environment that didn’t express belief in a personal God or faith in Jesus as the Son of God, this desire could only be explained as God uniquely drawing him to serve in a religious capacity.
Imir shared a fascinating part of his story that impacted and reminded me of what our rich Wesleyan theology calls God’s prevenient grace — the grace that goes before grace. Prevenient grace is exactly what Imir identified. He experienced God’s grace revealing Jesus before he experienced salvation through Christ.
It was at the age of 12 that Imir “knew for certain that Jesus was Lord and Savior of the world.” As he shared, my heart stirred within at the reminder of God’s drawing grace. He just knew. The Holy Spirit was revealing the truth of Jesus to Imir years before he experienced salvation, to a young boy living in a home and country where the name of Jesus was not proclaimed.
With tensions that had been brewing for years in the region of The Balkans, a war broke out in ’90s. At the age of 14, Imir and his family, among 100s and 1,000s of civilians, sought refuge in a bordering country. While a refugee, at the age of 15, Imir went to church for the first time and came to a saving faith in Christ. “I was ready to give my life to Jesus. God had been working in my life and drawing me close. It was as if all the pieces came together and I knew what I needed to do.”
What a comfort God’s presence was to Imir. “It felt like a close friendship. I would look up in the sky and smile as if God was smiling back.”
“With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself” (Jeremiah 31:3, NLT).
God engages in conversation and circumstances, lovingly drawing others to himself. He’s speaking to those who surround you at work, at home and at play, even in brief moments, on a plane, during an Uber ride, or in the grocery store checkout line.
Sometimes we discover this grace by simply asking, “tell me your story,” listening to truly hear and understand. By asking, you may be able to identify and affirm God’s grace working in them.
Like Imir, who had a “sense of God’s closeness” before he knew much of anything about God, there may people in your life on the cusp of being made new in Christ. It’s those of us, like you, like me, who could be one of the points of connection to open their eyes to the love of God. You may be joining a conversation that God is already having.
That day in the restaurant, as I listened to Imir’s story, I couldn’t help but imagine the stories yet-to-be-told of those in this town in The Balkans who are being drawn by God’s patient, loving kindness. Grace before grace.
When entering a new mission field, GP laborers seek people and places who might open up doors, be a source of gaining history and be a mutual encouragement in the work of the kingdom. We are thankful for Imir and others who join in the work of the Great Commission. Pray for GP missionaries, Ken and Dawn and Corey and Emilie, as they engage with the people of The Balkans.
*The Balkans is a pseudonym for a country that we can’t publicly identify due to security guidelines. As security cautions have increased for this country, this article has been modified to keep the work of our missionaries safe.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
