What he said to me stopped me in my tracks. A few days ago, I was burdened with the ominous of task of moving across town. If you know me, you know I move around a lot. But this time, I found a great location on a month-to-month basis within walking distance of the house of prayer in KC. I was in a rush to return the UHAUL trailer as I still had plenty of cleaning left to do at the house I moved from (I like to leave places better than I found them when possible). He was dressed in the official U-Haul garb, but I was immediately struck by the large wooden rosary and cross swinging from his neck. The Spirit of the Lord nudged my heart. Allen directed me as I wrestled with backing the trailer into the designated spot. He began to disconnect the trailer. How do I break into this one, I ask myself…help me Holy Spirit was my silent prayer. He was on his hands and knees, twisting the knob and maneuvering the safety chains leading to my vehicle. “I have a word for you,” no response from Allen. Again I stated, “I have a word for you.” Really…I’m break in on this guy like this, I thought to myself. Peculiar for sure! Allen looks up at me and arises to his feet. I began to tell him what I saw and the reason he was wearing the big wooden cross and rosary. No, he wasn’t Catholic. I began to tell Allen about the cross of Christ and how God loved him. He admitted that he had done all kinds of sins as I went down the list. But when I spoke of God’s love for him, that’s when he hammered me back. If God loves me, he asked, how could he send me to hell when he knows I’m living in a world full of sin? It doesn’t make any sense, he furthered. Wasn’t expecting him to go that way… took me back for second. I could have gotten profoundly theological and went into a penal substitution atonement explanation. I prefer a Cristus Victor explanation of the gospel myself. No No No. I was wordless for a few moments. The Spirit quickened my mind and mouth. I told him about two brothers. One stayed in relationship with their father and one went off into a distance land never to be heard from again (not quite the prodigal narrative here). I asked him, which one do you think is able to acquire the inheritance. At that, Allen smiles from cheek to cheek revealing the dollar signs on his gold-capped teeth. My words had struck the mark. The Spirit was present to do His work. After a little more ministry, I laid hands on Allen’s shoulder and blessed him, prayed for his heart, and asked God to send others strengthen him and to guide him home. This Christian thing we do is truly life or death. Allen is no different than you or I before the second birth. He is 29 years old, living for self, looking for the reasons, and without hope if we (Christians) say nothing and do nothing. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? –Romans 10:14 Like Wesley, the world is my parish but this usually inconvenient. However, I’m willing to lay my life down to answer the call, to see Him pleased, to share with others his goodness. I’m finding it’s a day-by-day objective and one that I am determined to do.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 02:02:04 +0000
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