Ravi!

Many times, God speaks to us with familiar voices.

The voice of your mother or father, the voice of your pastor or even your best friend.

For me, one of the voices He used was Ravi’s. I can’t remember the first time I heard his voice, but I can say with confidence that it must have caught the attention of all my senses.

There was a time in my life when all I was doing was asking hard questions about my faith but not necessarily looking for answers, but God heard my questions and decided to send answers through an Indian-sounding-all-white-haired-American-Canadian-Indian-no-nonsense-man.

Let My People Think: A friend had given me a bunch of the episodes and I listened to every single one of them. The voice of the man was soft, drawing me in, laced with love and I couldn’t resist, but what kept me listening were the words that came from his mouth that seemed to answer questions I had asked in the darkness of my heart. How did he know? Of course, I wasn’t the only one asking these questions, and I wasn’t the first – and that’s why God raises men, as answers to the questions of the heart.

This is what the LORD says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never to shut again. Isaiah 45:1

He became one of the familiar voices God uses to speak to me, and I am forever grateful that God brought him my way. I can never tell my story without mentioning the name of Ravi Zacharias, and when I thought I was a part of a small sect of people who God had blessed to know this man, I couldn’t have been more mistaken. Many fortress gates have been opened in the hearts of men and women because a 17-year old atheist decided to give God a chance while lying on his death bed.

Today heaven has gained a warrior, and Ravi has left behind a worn-out-of-efficient-use pair of shoes that really cannot be filled by anyone else.

I cried. I couldn’t hold back my tears. But one thing is sure, that though I never got to meet him in person on this side of eternity, I’ll surely meet him on the other side and sing to him that song that always brings tears to my eyes:

THANK YOU FOR GIVING TO THE LORD. I AM A LIFE THAT WAS CHANGED. THANK YOU FOR GIVING TO THE LORD, I AM SO GLAD YOU GAVE.

Thank you, Ravi!

The voice I’ll never forget!