“What can I do to break through to Merelyn?” Aida muttered to herself.

For months now, Merelyn had been friendly toward her, giving her gifts of food and accepting Aida’s help in her field. But every time Aida had tried to tell her about how much happier life is with Jesus, Merelyn had cut her off. “I don’t want to hear about your God!” Merelyn had said. “The spirits are good enough for me. Our ancestors taught us everything we need to know.”

“How can I help Merelyn realize how fearful she is?” Aida muttered to herself again. “Satan’s demons have never let her know anything else. She doesn’t even know what peace is.”

That’s when Aida spotted the watch. It had been broken for months—the battery dead and the face cracked. Some kid had dropped it in the weeds near Aida’s house. Picking up the watch and putting it on her wrist, she hurried off to help Merelyn weed her rice.
“That’s a nice watch you have there,” Merelyn quipped a couple of hours later. “What time is it?”

“Take a look for yourself,” Aida replied.

“Wait, that watch is broken! Why don’t you throw it away and get one that works?”

“Merelyn, why do you insist on hanging on to the spirits who never do anything except torment you, kill your family and waste your life? Your beliefs are broken just like this watch, but you stubbornly refuse my help. Why don’t you throw away those bad spirits and let Jesus make you truly happy?”

The two women weeded in silence for a long time while Merelyn thought. “You know, maybe I was wrong not to listen to your teaching about God. Maybe we can study together someday.”

“I would love to study with you!” Aida replied. Then she smiled to herself. Even an old, broken watch can be a useful tool to bring someone to Jesus.

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