(Continued from last week’s “Street Kid Stories” by Benjamin Bradley)

Slava was anxious and afraid to leave but the time finally came when he needed to say good-bye. Slava took that long walk down toward the street. He stopped and paused just as he was about to turn the corner and go out of sight. He turned around for a moment. It was as if he were pausing to see if there might be a another way no one had ever thought of before for him to stay, but the options had dried up. The only option left for him was to continue to walk all night and sleep in the office chairs. How could anyone ask him to give up the only bed he had a chance to sleep in?

After a year of fighting and struggling to believe in his new faith, he was far too tired to fight anymore. Finally, Slava’s shoulders fell and he turned and rounded the corner.

Would the words of God still remain in his little mind and heart through the many hard years we was facing in front of him? This kid had just been forced out of a safe situation by the powers of hell. All that could be done was watch him walk away because of a simple lack of a bed. It is hard enough to leave kids still wanting to sniff glue on the streets but how much harder when a child has become your brother in Christ.

Slava appeared again the next day. Somehow during the course of the night the Holy Spirit had given him the strength. With nothing but the promise that had been shared with him from the Bible almost a year ago, Slava decided to leave his friends who offered him a bed in exchange for renouncing Jesus.

Slava is currently living with an old lady who knew his mother. He has a bed for the winter, but more importantly, he still has his Jesus.