“And what do YOU do?”
From time to time I get opportunities to share my testimony of faith in Jesus Christ. A few years ago on a cold and blizzardy winter day about three hours northwest of home in the middle of farm country, I’d been up most of the night because of noise of the wind and snow plows outside the hotel where I was to speak, and wasn’t in my best form. Assuming the weather would keep people away and likely even cancel the event, I trudged down to the event room.
Those women were a lot heartier than I thought, and the place was full with over 100 in attendance. I was seated at a large table with several sharply dressed ladies; and thinking farm country, I was wearing a denim dress. Talk around the table was brisk and centered mostly on an interior decorator who wasn’t shy about her talent and contacts. After some time, she turned to me and asked the question above.
What DO I do? Certainly nothing as impressive as she or the others did. I mumbled something, and began to sweat. No sleep, inappropriately dressed, a do-nothing — and I was the featured speaker of the morning!
Breakfast was served, singers sang, the interior decorator did her thing, and I was introduced. “Okay Lord, it’s You and me. I surrender what little I have to You. Please make a difference in these women’s lives today.”
I shared my story. Nothing special. Just told what God has done in my life and gave the opportunity for anyone who didn’t have Christ as their Savior to do so. Everyone was pleasant as I shook hands at the door, but I packed up my stuff and drove home feeling a little down.
A week later, a note came in the mail. “Six women accepted Jesus as their Savior after you spoke.”
What do I do? Simply try to obey and let God do the real work!
If you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
My favorite family story on this subject is one my parents relayed: One day they answered the door to find a young man whose (unchurched) family had moved from the neighborhood many years earlier. His older brother was a friend of my older brother, and he attended VBS one summer. This younger brother was too young to attend, so the older brother shared his 'wordless' book with his pre-school brother. That Word took root, and this man was now serving in Child Evangelism ministry. He and his family scheduled a date to give a Sunday evening program to thank my home church for their faithfulness in spreading the Good News. God's Word is so powerful and effective!
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