TEARS

There are more to tears than meet the eye!  They can speak louder than words as the following true story shows.

James Hudson Taylor was a famous missionary to China from 1854-1905 but in 1852 aged 20 he was nursing in a London hospital.  One of his male patients was an atheist with gangrene in one foot.  He was very antagonistic to anything religious and even spat in the face of a local vicar and refused to allow him to speak.

James knew this man had not long to live so he was deeply concerned about the future of his soul.  For two or three days James said nothing as he bandaged his foot but he could see that the man was pleased by his nursing skill because his sufferings were less.  One day with trembling heart James spoke to the man about his need of God’s mercy through Christ.  Immediately he turned over in bed and faced the other way.  James continued to speak about Jesus every day but the man always turned away in anger.

Another day James walked away to the door without saying a word.  Suddenly he saw a look of surprise on the man’s face.  Bursting with tears he grasped the opportunity and rushed to the man saying, “Will you let me pray for you?”  To his joy he agreed so James fell on his knees and poured out his soul in prayer.  Within a few days the man received Christ as His Saviour and was transformed!  Later he told James that apart from his wedding he had not been inside a church for 40 years.  He didn’t even go in for his wife’s funeral!  The man lived for some time and spoke with joy to everybody about how the Lord Jesus Christ had changed his life.