Minister sees a prayer answered by the heart of a friend.
“Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.” (John 5:3-5)
The wait is always the hardest part.
“I’ve been praying for over a year to find someone who was eager to make time and learn the scriptures and the life of a believer,” says Danny Walker, one of the leaders of IFI’s Indian Friendship Team.
Danny, a missionary’s son and former church minister, has a special desire to see the Great Commission fulfilled in the lives of people from predominantly Hindu nations. Because of this, he does whatever he can to meet and invite his Indian friends into the life of a follower of Jesus, to see what it’s really about.
“For anyone who is serious about befriending Hindu students…do not get into a competition between Christianity and Hinduism (or Sikh, or Jain, or whatever faith they have). Have a living, everyday relationship with God and talk about 
your personal growth and learning on a regular basis. Promote Jesus and the positives. Tell stories of Jesus and keep them to a few minutes. Be interested in them (the students) and their faith.”
Still, with as many events as he’s attended and conversations that he’s had, Danny was still searching for someone who was willing to go into deeper waters: beyond a friendship with him, into a friendship with Jesus.
Then he met *Sam.
“When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?’” (John 5:6)
“Sam is employed by the OSU Agriculture Department and studies the water quality of Lake Erie. He has been in Columbus for 15 months. He got on the IFI website searching for opportunities to get involved. I emailed him and gave him several options. He was interested in Bible study already so I took him to my group and we started a friendship from that point. Now, we’ve been reading scripture and doing some memorizing together. On top of that we’ve been spending Tuesday night’s one-on-one.”
As their friendship grew, Sam shared his desire to learn more about the Bible and the Christian lifestyle. He also shared more about his personal and work life with Danny, including a surprising detail about his experience in the States. Despite living and working in Ohio for over a year, studying Lake Erie, he never visited the actual lake! Upon hearing this, Danny committed to helping his friend find the opportunity to see the site of his work firsthand.
Then they found it: Labor day weekend.
Danny and his wife, Cheryl, invited Sam to join them on a day trip to Lake Erie, along with an Indian couple whom they had befriended at IFI’s Indian Independence Day Party. The couple, Octavtian and Marian, were new to Columbus and eager to experience some fun activities in their new home.
“‘Sir,’ the invalid replied, ‘I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.’” (John 5:7)
The drive to the Lake included sightseeing and engaging conversation. But the fun was just getting started. Upon arriving, the five travellers took a ferry to Kelleys Island and enjoyed eating local food. They also toured a park with a very old lighthouse, connecting and bonding as they took in the scenes by the lake.
But Danny is not one to miss an opportunity. So during conversation, when Octavian was expressing his views on religion and the similarities between faiths in the world, Danny offered the difference that Jesus makes:
“The good news, or Gospel, is that when we fall short of the works-based approach found in most religions, we can turn to God’s mercy found in Jesus. In fact, the cross of Jesus is the only way to cover our shortcomings. So God’s mercy is actually a different path than all other religions.”
Just then, Sam, who had taken a break from the group to read a portion of a book he brought, rejoined the conversation. He had just finished reading a page in the book, recommended to him by Danny, focusing on the path to God. Then he quoted Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Danny felt a wide smile unfold across his face. Though Octavian might not have accepted the path of Jesus, Sam seemed to be well on his way.
“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’” (John 5:8)
The wait is often the hardest part; but afterwards, when the opportunity arises, we can’t afford to let it wash away. Danny was given the opportunity to pour into Sam, and in one moment, he saw the work that God was doing all along.
And just like the man who was waiting at the Pool of Bethesda for another angel to trouble the water, Danny received his desire. But his fulfillment didn’t come from the water; it came from the words of Jesus.
*Name is changed for the privacy and safety of the student
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