Dear Godfather
One Man's Story about Shining the Light of Christ
Gabriel Harkay
For years, there has been a new emphasis on evangelization, and I found out over these years that God provides opportunities to witness about our faith if we just ask him.
Come, Holy Spirit. I Need You, Now! In September 1985, I was working in Taiwan with a group of engineers from a firm in San Diego, California. During one holiday our liaison officer, a major in the Chinese Air Force, took us sightseeing to the very picturesque city of Taichung. We checked into our hotel late in the afternoon, and as we were filling out the registration forms, the major was telling the girls at the desk who we were. At one point he turned to me and said, “Mr. Harkay, this young lady is Miss Christine. She is studying French and when I told her that you speak French, she asked me to ask if you would be willing to speak with her, because she has no opportunity to practice French.” “Of course, I’ll be happy to do it,” I said. “But when?” “She’ll be off her job in an hour.”
As I was going to meet her in the lobby, uneasy feelings grabbed me. Here I am, an American engineer, married with four kids, in a Chinese city, going out with a young Chinese girl. So I prayed, “Come, Holy Spirit. I need you, now!”
Why Are You So Peaceful? Christine’s French was pretty fluent, and as we walked to town, I asked questions about herself to give her more chances to speak. She told me she was sad. She had a fiancé who went to work in Kuwait and now had another girlfriend. It was the Moon Festival, and families were out in the parks, and kids were running around, playing with fireworks. It was a joyful, relaxing atmosphere.
Suddenly Christine turned to me: “I sense a deep peace in you that I don’t see in other people. What is it? How do you get it?” I suggested that we go to a quiet place where we could talk. She took me to a teahouse and in a quiet room on the second floor she made some tea. We sat on big cushions on the floor, and I told her about God’s love. I told her how God gave his only Son to show us the way, to cleanse us, to live in us, and to take us to our loving Father.
“What ritual do I have to go through to get all this?” she asked.
“If you really want it, just say after me.” And I prayed something like this: “Lord Jesus, I don’t know you yet, but I believe that you are the Son of God and that you love me. I invite you now to come into my heart, to cleanse me from everything I have done wrong, and to be my Lord and Savior. I surrender my will to you because I trust you. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit and guide me to know you and follow you. So be it.” She repeated every word.
A Transformed Heart
The transformation was amazing. Her face was radiating. She felt a peace and love she never had before. Prior to going to the teahouse, Christine told me about a school in town, run by Catholic nuns. So I told her, “You have just received a great gift--God’s presence in your life. Find out more about it. Learn what it is. Go to those nuns at the school and take instructions in the Catholic faith. Yes, there is a ritual. You have to get baptized and join the Christian community.” She promised she would do it all.We took a taxi back to her apartment, then I went back to my hotel room, and the next day we all left town. I never saw her again. However, about a year later, I got a Christmas card from Christine. It began with, “Dear Godfather.” Tears came to my eyes. God is so good!
Gabriel Harkay lives in Lakeside, California.
Reprinted from The Word Among US, with permssion. Please visit their website at: www.wau.org