I'm 62 and my Christian life is frustrating to most everyone I know. Sometimes the frustrations are funny and other times are serious. It's not that I rub people the wrong way because I don't. What I do is live my life as I see it needing to be lived: outside of the box. I'm not particularly fond of conforming to anyone's image but Jesus. That's what the Bible tells us to be and do. Transformed into the image of God as we invite Jesus to live in us instead of us living in us. It makes for interesting spontaneous moments. Feeling the need to say something to or asking a question of someone whom I encounter is one way that cause people to feel uncomfortable. Most likely those people are the ones who are with me. Going through the grocery line and asking someone wearing a cross how long they have loved Jesus is not out of line for me. For others I am being intrusive and some even say I am rude. But, I ask, why not ask? The worst I can hear is that they don't know Jesus but just like the bling. The best is they tell me an abbreviated (why is that such a long word) story of their love for Jesus. Of course there are many around who are listening usually so the Gospel is forwarded to the hearing of those not even involved. Maybe because of my being led to ask the question a dormant Christian may be awakened. That's the business of the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes the witness takes the long road to get back to where I actually know the result of my being brash and bold. One such event took place when I was a police officer. I went on a call of a suicidal subject who was threatening to end his life. When we arrived at the house he had the house "stringed" with trip wires attached to a hand grenade. It later turned out to be a smoke grenade but none the less was alarming. I talked the man into coming to the hospital with me and learned his story in the back of the ambulance. He was a Viet Nam vet who had lost his job, his wife took the kids and left him two weeks before Christmas and felt he had nothing to live for. So, I asked him if he knew Jesus. He was shocked that I, a cop, would ask such a question. Why not? He said that he had become a Christian several years earlier while in combat in Viet Nam but that he had drifted away. We talked about what it would be like to once again be in good graces with Jesus. He decided that he wanted to do that. So, in the back of the ambulance, we prayed. A few nights prior to this call he was the center of attention on a similar call. He was combative and took 3 officers and paramedics to hold down. He was the same at the same emergency room we had travelled to and with the same 2 paramedics. We walked out of the ambulance to the waiting psychologist who was the same one who had treated him previously. The same nursing staff was there as well. Everyone was in a state of shock as this compliant, mellow, almost childlike man walked with me into a 72 hour commitment. The paramedics took me back to my patrol car marveling of what had transpired. It turned out that both were Christian and hadn't felt it was allowed, proper or legal to pray for their clients. They changed their minds. It was a bit over 2 years later that I received a phone message to call a man whom I didn't recognize. I called and it was this same guy. He told me that he was forever thankful for that night we prayed. He wasn't able to save his marriage but has a great relationship with his children. He went to Bible school where he met his now new wife. He was working in a neighboring city as a youth pastor. Wow!
As you can see, there is always more to the picture than a frustrating person named Steve. God is working behind you and others who are living for Jesus. I have lots of stories like the above story. It is ALL Jesus' work through me. The next time you see someone doing what you consider foolish or inappropriate or even not politically correct; realize they are not caring about the world but about the Kingdom of God which has come to us in Jesus through men and women and children who have chosen Jesus as their reason for living. It's your choice.
No comments:
Post a Comment