Christmas 2011

Twas the week before Christmas and all through the town

People were hurting and life brought a frown

The other night I received an unexpected phone call. Well, I sort of expected a call from this individual. I had called him and left a message for him to call. That evening he called. So, we quickly covered my business and wished he and his wife a very Merry Christmas. Then he said he had a special request for me. I assured him to ask away (inwardly wondering what it would entail).

He began to tell me a story of a phone call he had received from an individual attending where he worshiped. It seemed there was a need in the life of a young lady who was facing some horrible situation. She needed to talk and my friend was not in town. In fact, he was across the state and would not be back.

I immediately knew what was going to happen. He asked. And shortly my wife and I found ourselves getting ready to go out and meet with this young lady. We talked and listened. We shared the hope that is in Christ. She wasn't ready. She was hurting deeply. But past experience with other followers of Jesus had left her with a bad taste in her spirit.

She did allow us to pray with her. She did gladly give my wife and I a hug as we parted that evening. I walked away contemplating how often I have sat in that scenario when someone had told of an experience where meeting other followers of Jesus had turned them off to Christianity.

I thought about Jesus dealing with the woman caught in the very act of adultery. My mind raced to his response to the Rich Young Ruler. Story after story raced through my mind. Not one of them revealed a self-righteous condemning Savior. Each individual was approached carefully and compassionately. Some walked away. Jesus groaned in his spirit in those times. But not once did he condemn.

There is only one way this young lady we met will ever be able to trust Jesus as her personal Savior and Lord. Someone will have to take the time to lovingly enter into relationship with her and gently and respectfully keep sharing Jesus with her without condemning. You see, she is lost. She is blind to the truth. She is dead spiritually according to the Word of God. And she does not even know it.

I wonder whom God will "Call Out" to invest their life in this young lady. Some follower of Christ will have the call of God on their life to do just that. Jesus said to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers into His harvest field.

Jesus, I am doing that right now. Will you send someone into the harvest field of "R's" life this week to begin preparing the soil of her heart to receive the seed or your gospel? Will you give that person the patience of a farmer who weeds the garden and waters it when the drought comes? And, when the time is right to bring in the harvest, will you have that worker in her field at just the right time to bring her to you?

"Faithful is He who has called you...who will also do it." 1 Thess. 5:24