The God of the 2nd Chance

Dereck walked into church two weeks ago to give his life to the Lord.  He is 16 years old and has lived the past several months of his life on the streets of Nairobi.  His arms and legs are covered with painful boils from an unchecked bacterial infection.  His frame is slender and lean from not properly eating.   He ran away from home several months ago.  This was due to some serious complications at school and deep emotional wounds: His mother died several years ago and his father abandoned him at birth.  

An uncle was attempting to help the young man as best as he could.  However, their relationship became strained so Dereck plotted his escape from his  home-town of Kangaria to make his way to the promise of the big city- Nairobi.   There he was sorely disappointed with the harsh reality of survival on the streets and narrowly escaped with his life on several occasions.  While begging for roasted corn from a vendor at an intersection near down-town, he was told about a church where people could help him.  On Sunday morning, my dear friend Benson Sereria (the former Hare Krishna evangelist) lead him in the sinner's prayer as he surrendered his life to Christ.  

Sach, the assistant pastor at this church decided to help him get back in school.  So we all piled into a small car and drove to Kangaria to try and find the uncle.  We expected to find a very angry and bitter man who wanted nothing to do with Dereck since his recent escapade.   Much to our shock, the uncle was elated to have the "prodigal" of their extended family return.  

As we shared who we were and what we were trying to accomplish, a sweet presence of the Lord filled the living room. Repeatedly, the uncle said: "thank God Dereck fell in with you guys and not Mungiki (a tribalistic gang involved in the occult actively recruiting all over Kenya)". 

  By the end of our time there, I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. The relationship between uncle and nephew was restored.  The opportunity to learn was re-established.  The shame of a family was removed.  The sins of the past were buried.  And through it all- we all witnessed a living testimony of the God of the second chance.  A God who rescues young men from the streets of Nairobi.  A God who keeps us in spite of foolishness.  A God who uses street corn roasters to draw lost people to Himself.  A God who loves wayward and hurting people!