Pass on the Hope!
Pass on the Hope!
Back in 1967, missionary Doug Nichols fell ill while serving in India. He had to spend several months in a dingy tuberculosis sanitarium. While there, he tried to give Gospel tracts to the patients and doctors, but no one would accept them. Understandably, Doug became discouraged. He was sick, weak, lonely, and disappointed that no one would listen to him. He began to feel his hope fading.
One night around 2:00 a.m., Doug woke up coughing. Across the aisle, he noticed an old man trying to get out of bed and get to the bathroom. Too weak to stand, the man fell back into bed crying and exhausted. Although sick and weak himself, Doug got out of bed. With a smile, he lifted the man and carried him down the hall to the filthy, smelly washroom, then back to his bed. The old man smiled and said the Indian word for “thanks.”
The next morning, one of the other patients woke Doug with a steaming cup of tea and asked for a Gospel tract. Then other patients asked for the booklets. Even nurses and a doctor asked for one. Over the next few days, several patients and staff gave their lives to Christ. The whole situation changed because of Doug’s sacrificial act in the middle of the night.
Doug’s hope had been restored, and with it, his joy and peace. During his remaining time in the sanitarium, those dingy hallways and rooms were transformed through the hope people found in Christ.
© Tyler Olson