But I've come to realize that at this point in my life, my faith is far greater than my fear of what someone might think or say. My faith is far greater than my... well, simply being a chicken about sharing!
I heard a story on Sunday that impacted me greatly. It reminded me that just because I don't SEE my words moving someone... Doesn't mean they aren't moving SOMEONE.
Ray Alexander, who has since past Bless your soul ~ Thank you for the opportunity to share YOUR story and create my own!
Ray worked for a city road crew. There was a fella he worked with who Ray suspected did not know Jesus. He invited this gentleman to his home one evening. The man not wanting to go very badly drug his feet about it. His son who recently was learning to drive, was excited to go anywhere, even if that meant sitting in the car and waiting while his father met with a co-worker. Against his desire, the gentlemen agreed to let the son drive him to Ray Alexander's home. The son, excited of course did just that.
Upon arriving, the father told the son "wait here, I hope this won't take long". The son not really thrilled about sitting in the car ( it wasn't going anywhere, so where is the fun in that?) Asked his father if he could wait on the porch. They walked to the front door, the father meeting Ray and going inside. The son, sitting outside the door on the front steps.
Ray Alexander began to share with the father the word of Jesus. Sharing what it meant to follow Christ and how making a commitment to do so, could change his life. The father not interested in being there listened politely. The son remained on the porch and like most teenagers, he had one ear to the conversation. He was hearing the words about Christ that Ray was sharing with his father. The young man intently listening, became a bit excited about what Ray was sharing. The father on the other hand, had no interest.
At the close of the conversation, Ray asked the father, would you like to follow Christ? I have a prayer I could pray with you right here, right now. The father said "no, I'm not interested right now. I want to think about it". Ray, shared that maybe later he'd like to say the prayer. And he shared with him that if he would say the following prayer, Jesus would fill his life. Ray began to say the prayer.
Out on the porch, the son who had been intently listening got excited. As Ray shared the prayer, the son sat on the porch and prayed every word, asking Jesus to come into his life.
The father thanked Ray and headed toward the door. The son stood up, both said their farewells and to the car they went.
Years past. The son who had prayed that evening on Ray Alexander's porch came to have a life full of the blessings of Jesus, he went on to marry and have a family of his own. He shared the word of God with his family, his friends and anyone else who would listen. He and his wife were blessed with a son. A son who he too shared the love of Christ with. The son grew up in a Christian home and lived his life for Jesus. He eventually went off to attend college to become a minister.
Years past. The family was having a family reunion. There were many in attendance and almost all of them had come to choose a Christ filled life. All but the grandfather. The grandson had a heavy heart for his grandfather and prayed prior to the reunion that God would give him opportunity to share with his grandfather.
And God did just that. The grandson and the grandfather shared. The grandfather told of the story of going to Ray Alexander's house, his father sitting on the porch and how he'd not felt that was the day to accept Christ, but today. Today he did choose to do so ~ the grandson prayed with the grandfather and at 71 years old, the grandfather came to accept the love of Jesus and follow him.
At 81 years of age, the grandfather passed away. The son, and the father shared a conversation about the joy in the grandfather coming to know Jesus after all those years. The son inquired again with the father about the story of the day they went to meet Ray Alexander. Together they decided that it would be nice to find Ray and thank him. Although the grandfather did not accept Christ that day, because Ray stepped out and shared his love of Jesus, the father accepted Christ.
The son located Ray, and went to visit. He shared with Ray that it was his grandfather who came to his home one night. Ray remembered. Ray walked over to his bible and opened it. He shared a list of names, men who he had shared his love of Christ with, who he continued to pray over. Beside each name he marked them off when he knew that they had accepted Christ. Next to the grandfather's name there was nothing, this man he continued to pray for, even today.
The grandson shared that his grandfather did come to accept Christ, and that it was because of Ray's testimony that evening on the porch, which was over heard by his father that he himself came to know Christ. The son shared with Ray how many people he'd spoken to about Christ himself and shared with Ray that had it not been for his "not being chicken" that evening and sharing with the grandfather many may not have come to know the Lord. Ray smiled big. He opened the bible and noted that the grandfather knew the Lord.
What an amazing story! All of the hundreds of people who heard the word of God because one man shared!!
I pray daily that God will provide opportunity to share, or be shared with. There is an amazing joy in knowing that I've asked God to allow me to share his love and what a blessing when others are given opportunity to share with me. God is awesome, ALL THE TIME!
Don't be a chicken... Cross that road. Share your heart and open your ears to hear. You never know how many people one conversation may touch, or how many lives may be changed.