For seven years Ile and Ana, a Cru staff in Skopje, met regularly with Zdenka and her family. She appreciated their commitment but held firmly to the view that “all paths lead to God” and that an impersonal “Universe” guides people toward enlightenment. Zdenka regularly used the phrase “I thank the universe” and actually meant it. She was a grateful, loving person…but her thankfulness was aimed at an inanimate universe that she loved personalizing.
Every time we’d meet, this Cru couple shared their frustration and asked me to talk to her ASAP:
“She’s so close, but so far away. We can’t get her to take the leap of faith. It’s been years. We don’t know what to, what to say to her any more. She can’t seem to make the step from thanking the universe to start thanking Christ!”
Sources of Identity and the aim of life Summer 2022, Leader Impact Retreat, Greece
During a weekly conference in Greece, I had the privilege to be the main speaker there. I prepared several sessions to discuss what is Identity, how our cultural narratives shape and twist our identity, and how Christianity offers a healthy alternative.
After one evening session, Ile came up and said “This was great. God is talking here. What you shared is spot on what Zdenka needed. She asked for a meeting with you. Please talk to her immediately!”
We sat down with Zdenka that evening, and spent perhaps 2 hours, maybe more, talking about how God-as-Person is a more accurate understanding of Creation, instead of the conscious-Universe. I contrasted an impersonal energy with the Christian claim that God is a personal being who calls individuals by name. We discussed how being a person is categorically different and incomparably better than a being with energy. A rock in motion has a kinetic energy, I explained, but no matter how big this energy is, it will never become alive and conscious. A person on the other hand, has energy built into itself by the very fact of it’s existence.
I challenged Zdenka to consider whether a caring relationship is possible with a force that has no personality. She agreed to examine the Gospels with that question in mind.
“You and your family will be saved” The answer to years of prayer
Back home, she invited the Cru couple into her living room to run a weekly Bible study. Her teenage daughter was the first to identify Jesus as Lord.
We met with Zdenka and talked a few more times on our regular Leader Impact meetings. She progressed well, and was growing in her understanding of the bible, and what it means to live as a Christian.
Most of her gratitude revolved around Christ granting her renewed health after a series of chemo therapies. She called that period “my second life, a second chance to get things right”.
The Final Months
In mid‑2023 Zdenka was once more diagnosed with an aggressive liver cancer. They did what they could, but as it often happens, human ingenuity and medical capabilities eventually hit a wall.
For about 2 months, she was in a few solid hospitals, hoping to ease the pain and get a few more months of life. When I visited her in intensive care she said, “I know Who waits for me, I’m not afraid, I got the chance to get things right with God.”
Two weeks later she died, confident in Christ.
A Challenging Thought and Next Steps for You
Looking back, I often wonder, what would have happened with Zdenka and her family if I couldn’t get to the conference.
All it would take is one new project, or one new website audit on my To Do list, and I’d have to cancel the trip to Greece. The lecture would not have happened. The conversation would not have happened. Zdenka would not have found her peace with God.
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