Oh the drama! {writing prompt}

When the Holy Spirit prompts you to go way outside of your comfort zone, 
you may experience a battle between his glorious will and your self-focused fears.  
I know this, because it happened to me recently.

I will never forget the first time that I saw him.  I was in my car in the parking lot at Walmart.  I was about to pull out when I noticed him at a distance.  He was a tall man with long gray hair and a long gray beard to match.  At first it was his size that caught my attention, but the closer he came, the more I noticed other things...it looked as though he hadn't bathed in a long time.  Oh, I know sometimes guys show up at Walmart just after working hard on the job but this was different.  I couldn't seem to turn my attention from him, he looked so troubled and so lonely that couldn't help but wonder what life was like for him.  I could see the pain on his face.  That was the first time that I prayed for him.

After that, I saw him a few other times.  Usually it would be at a distance and at Walmart.  One time he was walking alone down a busy street.  Wherever it was, I always noticed him and I felt so sad for him.  And I would pray for his soul.  I wanted to talk to this man about Christ but how on earth was that going to happen?!  And why this one man when so many people (probably most of them don't look as troubled as he did) need Christ just as much as he does?  Why was I singling him out?  I don't know how else to explain it except to say that God singled him out to me.  But it wasn't until the other day that I would fully realize how true that was.

Brienne had her braces removed that morning and after her appointment I decided to have lunch with her at a Chinese restaurant.  It was very close to Walmart which was great because we would be going there afterwards.  This was her first time in this restaurant and she was pretty impressed with the buffet.  Although she didn't eat a lick of Chinese food!  That's ok, she enjoyed it.  

As I sat there eating lunch with her, the man with the long gray beard walked in!  He was seated just a few booths in front me and in my direct line of vision.  Of course, he immediately caught my attention.  He looked just the same as he had every other time before.  So in between bites and talking with Brienne, I observed that he was just sitting there drinking a cup of coffee and looking at things on the wall and watching the people all around him interact.  

Once again, my heart was stirred.  I began to think that I should somehow be a friend to this man.  But how?!  I started to rehearse in my mind how I would go about doing this.  I thought I would walk over to his table and introduce myself then I would simply ask him how he was doing.  And of course, in a situation like this and assuming it would be my only opportunity, I would somehow want to share the gospel with him.  Even if it was only one or two sentences worth.  The more I thought about what to do, the more my stomach twisted into knots.  Was I crazy?!   What woman just walks up to some guy's table and bothers him with her presence?  How unconventional!  My heart was suddenly engaged in battle. 

I thought, "All of these people here will notice what I'm doing.  What if he gets beligerent and embarrasses me?"  The more I thought about it the more afraid I felt.  I was already finished with my meal and Brienne was just finishing up with her chocolate ice cream.  Maybe I should just forget about it and leave.

But God wouldn't let me go that easily.  His Spirit seemed to whisper "Show this man love and compassion, be a friend, do not be afraid, I will help you."  I couldn't believe what I was about to do.  

Suddenly, Brienne popped up out of her seat and happily announced that she was finished and ready to go.  

"Not yet, Brienne.  Sit down for a minute please."

She sat down and waited to hear what I had to say.

My heart was pounding as I told her what had been going on in my mind for the past ten minutes or so.  "There is a man here (don't turn around and look) but there is someone here that I think God wants me to be a friend to and maybe share the gospel with.  I am really struggling about it and praying that God would make it clear to me that it's what he wants and that it's not some crazy idea of mine..........when I stand up to walk over to his table, I want you to follow me okay?"  

Her response and facial expression conveyed that she was 50% sure this was a good idea and 50% not so sure.  But, of course, she was willing to follow me.

About a minute later, I stood and walked over to his booth with Brienne following me.  It went just as I had planned on my end and he was friendly and welcomed us to sit at his table.  He seemed to be happy to have someone to talk to.  I asked him questions about himself.  

"Have you always lived around here?"

"Do you have any family in the area?"

He answered my questions and I listened intently.  

He said that he has lived here all his life.  He does not have a home.  He lives in the woods.  The only family he has is an aunt who is so ill that the past few times he has gone to her house she was unable to answer the door.  

He also said that he went to church growing up and when I asked if anyone has ever told him about Jesus Christ and has he ever heard the gospel?  He leaned back in the bench and looked more troubled than ever as he mustered an unconvincing "Yeah."  

I did share the gospel with him and it was just a few sentences.  I wanted more than anything for him to know and understand that life here is temporary and so I sought to provide hope with that reality.  I wanted him to hear and believe the most wonderful words that can ever be spoken...I told him "God loves you and he wants you to be with him forever.  He has made a way for you to be forgiven for all your sin through his Son, Jesus Christ."  

Even in this moment, I feared his reaction.  I dreaded the thought that he would see me as cold and calculating.  That he would think that I really didn't care about him at all and that all I cared about was passing on my "religion" and "proselytizing" him.  

In a sense, yes.  But in another sense, no.  I just know that it's a loving thing to do to sit and be friendly and to offer to pay for his meal, but if I leave it at that I have neglected an eternal purpose.  I recognize that we can end up on the end of either extreme.  Many times we can be so focused on meeting only physical needs and and on being friendly that we fear sharing the gospel will be too much like stepping on their toes.  The other extreme is to never really show genuine concern for someone, to never take the time to listen to them but to almost demand that they listen to you while you tell them what the Bible says.  Both are unbalanced and both are missing important aspects of truly loving people.  

Whenever I steered the conversation toward spiritual things, he would listen and he would answer me, but he would quickly change the subject and talk about random things like how expensive tarps are these days.  I wasn't sure if anything I was saying was getting through.

Toward the end of our conversation, he was leafing through the "Bridge" tract that I had given him earlier.  He said he would read it.  I hope that he does.  I told him that I would be praying for him and it really has not been difficult to keep my word because God has brought him to mind so often. 

As Brienne and I stood up to leave, he reached out his hand to shake mine.  I won't say I didn't notice how black his fingernails were.  But I tried not to pay them any mind.  I thought more about his soul.  The soul that I hoped would one day soon turn to God for cleansing and a hope that never dies.  I thought of the man before me that Christ can make new and whole.

When God transforms a life, it is the greatest drama to ever unfold with a plot that was planned before time even began.  It's a story far better than any fictional tale man can muster.  As God's people, we are so blessed to play a part in his eternal plan.

Linking up for the writing prompt here: http://www.ellenstumbo.com/bring-on-the-drama/