An Instant Calling
The Story of Rubin
by Gene Easley
As I sat next to Rubin in a small, dirt floor, primitive church in a poverty-stricken part of Guatemala City, he began to tell me his latest triumph! It was the conversion of his sister, who was in her teens and lived in the same house as Rubin. He said she had asked him if she could attend his church. She had watched her brother and said, "I have seen such a change in your life. I want to go to that church, too." She did and quickly found Christ real in her own heart.
Our acquaintance with Rubin began at the small bank located on Seventh Avenue and Twelfth Street in Guatemala City. Rubin worked outside the bank. That is, he had created for himself a means of bringing in a few Quetzals (Guatemala's equivalent to the dollar, although worth less). He would guard the cars of bank customers or those who were patronizing other businesses nearby. He would also wash your car for a small sum of money. It was the only way he could find to help support his mother and siblings. It was a day-by-day existence for Rubin, as it is for so many Guatemalans.
One day while parked in front of the bank, I began a conversation with Rubin.
He was a very troubled young man, about eighteen years of age. His countenance
left one with no doubt that he was struggling within himself because of all the
problems of life, even at his early age.
That day I gave Rubin a small Gospel booklet. It contained the entire book of John plus some other information about the Christian life. It was full of good advice for a seeking heart.
A couple of weeks passed by, and again I stopped at the bank and had another conversation with Rubin. When I asked him if he had read the book I gave him, he said, "Yes, I've been reading it, and I've been thinking about it." I knew from the way he spoke that he was serious. Conviction was evident on his face. At home, we prayed for Rubin, feeling definitely that God was dealing with his heart.
A few days later, Jean and I went to the bank on a Saturday morning. As usual, there was a long wait to transact our business. We had not seen Rubin when we entered the bank, but as we were leaving, we looked across the street and saw something that excited our hearts more than words can tell.
Standing on the sidewalk across the street was a young man with such a glow upon his face that he instantly caught our attention. It was Rubin! We could hardly believe our eyes! It was Rubin all right, but instead of gloom and despair, there was a smile radiating from him! One could literally see the spiritual victory in that young man's face!
Jean and I looked at each other, and, without any doubt in our hearts, we both said, "God has done something in that young man's life!" It was one of few times in our lives that we knew before speaking to somebody that God had made some changes! Christ was being manifested through his very countenance.
When we walked across the street to where he was standing, he reached out his hand to greet us warmly. Immediately, he wanted to tell us what had happened to him: "I went to church Sunday, and God saved me," he said, without hesitation. How our hearts were flooded with joy! We knew we were witnessing what happens when God breaks the bondage and sets a soul free!
But that wasn't the end of Rubin's story. He wasn't washing cars that Saturday morning. Instead, he was out passing out Gospel tracts--already trying to win others to Christ. Upon learning what an instant witness Christ had made of this fellow, we furnished him with bundles of tracts and other Gospel literature. He later told us that he had won three of his friends to Christ using those tracts.
And that's still not the end of the story! Rubin's mother went to church with him, and she was the first one of the family to give her heart to the Lord! Then after Rubin and his sister were saved, other members of his family, one by one, were beginning to attend church and to find interest in the things of God. Praise God!
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