Be prepared. Be ready. Be watchful. Be waiting. Be prepared. Be prepared for what? Not for the death of a king (Lion King reference), but for sharing the good news of Jesus, our risen savior and lord.
It started just like any other day. I was woken by my alarm clock, hit the snooze a couple times, finally rolled out of bed, got dressed, said my prayers, a typical morning. Laundry needed to be done, so I threw some dirty cloths in my laundry bag, and headed downstairs to the machines. "oUt oF oRdER" read the display on the dryer (gotta love those digital displays!). Great! Now what? After some deliberation I decided to talk to the leasing office about it. So I put my cloths in my apartment, and walked to the leasing office. As soon as I stepped outside I was struck with the beauty of the day, and felt a strong urge to go for a run. After informing the leasing office of the shenanigans with the dryer, I changed into my running gear, did some stretches, and bolted out the door. What a beautiful morning for a run! It was a bit hot, but there was a slight breeze, making it bearable. As I ran, my thoughts turned to recent events, and I did some meditation on what I had recently read in scripture. I turned the corner into my apartment complex, and despite feeling tired and exhausted, I picked up speed and sprinted to the finish line (the sidewalk leading out of my apartment building). Yes! Winded, I spent the next five minutes pacing in front of the car port trying to catch my breath, when I saw the man. He was one of the workers who was doing maintenance on one of the apartments that had recently been vacated, and he was headed out to the work van to get some supplies. We exchanged hellos. Then I felt something. It was just a tinny nudge. A gentle prodding that said: "share Jesus". After a brief moment of hesitation I approached the man. I explained to him that I had felt the urge to talk to him and asked him the question: "Are you a Christian?"
The man's reply was half-hearted, "I'm a Christian."
Not convinced, I asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"I don't want to be judged", came a mumbled reply.
"I'm not here to judge you." I responded, "I just want to share my life with you". I asked him if he had time to talk, but he said he was busy. I asked him if he had a bible, and he said yes. I asked him if he read it, and he said no. I then encouraged him to pick it up and read it, starting with the gospel of John. He said thanks and we went on our separate ways. Exhausted, I headed back up to my apartment, and was just about to close the door. "That was bold." came the man's voice. I walked back out into the hall and seen him standing there next to the apartment that he was working on.
"That was very bold of you," The man repeated.
I gave him a smile and chuckled, "That wasn't me, that was Jesus. I'm nothing without him."
"It's good to be bold," the man said. "It was very bold of you to talk to me. I'm a hard case and a hard person to talk to. Thank you." He opened the door and closed it behind him. (Well, it went something like that. I don't remember all the words as it all happened so quickly, but that's the jist of it.) Upon entering my apartment, I suddenly became overwhelmed. Bursting to tears, I headed straight to my secret place, closed the door, and fell to my knees, sobbing. "Oh God, that was you. That was all you. That was all you," I repeated over and over again. My thoughts then turned to the man. I prayed that the Lord would break him. That the Lord would break him down. That the Lord would break his heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh. That he would get into the word, and drink deep from the living water. I prayed Jabez's prayer for him. That God would richly bless him indeed. That his territory would be expanded, that he would reach out to others and share the good news of the gospel. That the Lord's hand would be with him when times get rough, and he feels unworthy because of past events or whatever would be an obstacle in his life. That he would be free from temptation; free from the lies and deceit of Satan, causing him to despair.
So whats the point? Whats the point of this story? The point is to be prepared. Be prepared at all times to share the gospel with others. Even when you are weary, and heavy burdened. Even when you don't feel like it, or are not in the mood. Even if you feel that you are not ready, nor have the words to say to someone else. Even if you feel afraid. Be prepared. Be ready. Be watchful. Stay in tune with the holy spirit. He is your guide, and will give you the words to speak when the opportunity comes. It's not easy. It's never easy. If you wait too long, the devil will sneak up on you and sabotage you with doubts and fears. Don't let him. When you feel it, go for it. Someone out there needs Jesus. Many people need Jesus. God is calling you to reach out to them. Don't be afraid to stand out. That's how the lost get found.
Be prepared. Be ready. Be watchful. Be waiting. Be prepared.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Britt Nichole -- The Lost Get Found ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello my friend
I remember when you were
So alive with your wide eyes
Then the light that you had in your heart was stolen
Now you say that it ain't worth stayin'
You wanna run but you're hesitatin'
I'm talkin' to me
Don't let your lights go down
Don't let your fire burn out
'cause somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe
Why don't you rise up now?
Don't be afraid to stand out
That's how the lost get found
The lost get found
So when you get the chance
Are you gonna take it?
There's a really big world at your fingertips
And you know you have the chance to change it
There's a girl on the streets, she's cryin'
There's a man whose faith is dyin'
Love is calling you
Don't let your lights go down
Don't let your fire burn out
'cause somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe
Why don't you rise up now?
Don't be afraid to stand out
That's how the lost get found
The lost get found
Why do we go with the flow
Why take an easier road?
Why are we playin' it safe?
Love came to show us the way
Love is a chance we should take
I'm movin' out of the gray
Don't let your lights go down
Don't let your fire burn out
'cause somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe
(Stand out)
Don't let your lights go down
Don't let your fire burn out
(Stand out)
'cause somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe
Why don't you rise up now?
Don't be afraid to stand out
That's how the lost get found
The lost get found
So when you get the chance
Are you gonna take it?
There's a really big world at your fingertips
And you know you have the chance to change it
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