Two Knocks on the Door: Coventry Jesus Centre

Its 11:55am, Tuesday, and I’m just getting ready for the international Bible study at the Jesus Centre when there’s a knock at the door of the training room and I see a  youngish couple standing outside; ah yes, I recognise the lady, she is an English student here and known to me. I have never met her husband.

“We want to find out more about Jesus!” the husband tells me as he explains the reason for their visit. “Well, come in!” I say, “You are most welcome!” The husband’s English is good and he ends up interpreting for me! 

I have often seen this couple since and now the husband tells me he wants to get baptised. 
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A man of African descent knocks on the door and enters the training room; he tells me he wants to improve his English.

We talk about his English needs and he explains how he was once a visitor at our drop-in when life was very tough for him. That was several years ago. He left us and got a home, a job and most important, found faith in Jesus. Yes, he tells me, he has known his ups and downs as a Christian and has known a period of serious backsliding. Now he’s doing OK. He loves the Jesus Centre and what we do; it’s like home to him; we pointed him in the right direction and now he is a Christian. He works at present but, if the busyness of his working schedule allows, he would love to volunteer at the centre, a sort of repayment for what he received here from God.

“Let’s pray together,” I say, “let’s pray God so arranges your life that one day it is possible to volunteer here.” The man gets on his knees. I pray. He cries. He gets up from his knees. I find some tissue. The man is clearly deeply moved; what’s touched him, too, is that his mum had the same name as mine, ‘Julia’.

These encounters are touching, humbling and lead again and again to another, ‘Thank you, Jesus!’  The beauteous work of the Holy Spirit is going on here, there, across the world, often hidden, unseen. 

Indeed, His is a humble work for, it would appear, the Holy Spirit loves to work unseen, unnoticed, intending always, only, in bringing  glory to Jesus. 

I firmly believe that many of the things that happen at the Jesus Centre are unrecorded, unknown even to us. Our part is to live available and willing for the extra stretch; God does the rest.