For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited me in… Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. — Matthew 25:35, 40
As a pastor, I am frequently reminded of the profound responsibility we carry when we pray for God to use us. We often ask Him to send those who are hurting to our doors, but are we truly ready to answer when they arrive?
Not long ago, a young man approached me with tears in his eyes and a simple plea that shook me: “I desperately need God in my life.” He told me he came from a broken family and, due to many difficult circumstances, had ended up homeless. That day, far from his family and feeling desperate, he felt he had reached the end of his rope.
But God had a plan for his life, and He chose our church and me to be the hands and feet that would carry out that plan. While walking to nowhere, this young man was surprised to see a church open on a Saturday and felt that God was inviting him to come in. He decided to enter, and that decision changed his life forever.
The church mobilized and helped him with shelter and a steady job, and together, we presented to him the wonderful God we serve.
During a church series, moved by the Word of God, he chose to give his life to Jesus through baptism, trading his old life for a place in God’s kingdom. A few months later, on December 20, 2025, we watched with tears of joy as he was baptized into Christ!
God wants us to be His hands and feet to carry out His plan. Are we ready?
Today, this young man is a volunteer helping other homeless people find God. Having once walked in their shoes, Noah is now a living testament to the power of a welcoming church and a life-changing God.
Let us take a moment to meditate on the words of Isaiah 6:8.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Elvis Dumitru, Pastor
Surrey Adventist Church