"Do you know the Lord?"
We left for Winnipeg yesterday afternoon a couple of gifts packed in the back of the blazer to be exchanged or returned and then off to HSC for the MRI. I had a headache already first thing in the morning and the closer we got to Winnipeg the more uncomfortable I was getting. I had taken aspirins first thing, but deep down I knew what it was. Going back was going to be hard. I loved these past few weeks of living in denial, except for the fact of monitoring Wes' Dilantin, it was as though there was nothing else major happening in our life. But, this drive would change things. At the end of this road trip was a machine that would alter our world for better or for worse and the wait for the results will be hard, but we know that there are others waiting right along with us...praying. We take comfort in that.
I decided to take a quick nap on the road and a short while later we were at Polo Park. I carefully tucked the beautiful ring that I had received from Eva for Christmas into my purse, I needed to have it sized. We walked into the mall and it was mayhem, there were so many people you couldn't walk a straight line. Emotions were running high as people crowded around sales tables looking for just the right color in the right size, frustrated parents in a hurry for the best sale price ran yanking their kids behind them. I watched as people swirled around us everyone going their own direction and it was as though life had moved into high speed. I hardly knew where to step without stepping into, over or onto people. We made it to the Jeweller's and thankfully it was fairly quiet in there so we could catch our breathe. We didn't waste any time once we had completed our task, it was straight to the escalator and out the nearest door to our vehicle.
The other stores weren't much better, the clerks were tired and stressed, while still trying their best to be friendly. The lines were long and frantic, but, we kept going. We went to another store with a gift that needed to be exchanged. We entered the store and immediately went to the back of a long line and began our wait. I noticed a gentleman, about our age, who stepped out of his position in the line up and walked over to the counter and pulled out a ticket from the nice bright red machine sitting there.
"Oh, good grief" I said to Wes, "We should have taken a number!"
I was busy explaining to Wes where the machine was when suddenly that same gentleman stood beside us holding out the ticket.
"You're going to need this" he replied with a smile. We thanked him and watched as he walked back to the front of the line.
OK, so my faith in some humanity has been restored. The line behind us continued to grow and it seemed as though everyone knew about taking a number except us. Then a young man came in and I noticed that he stepped into the long line without going to get a number, so I quickly stepped out and with a smile and a wave of my ticket I said, "You're going to need a number!"
I showed him where it was and with a huge smile of relief he said "Thanks! That could have been a long wait!"
A few minutes later a young woman walked in and she too simply walked to the back of the line, but before I could say anything the young man whom I had just helped turned to her and said "You're going to need one of these!" She thanked him profusely and he said "No problem, I wouldn't have known either if someone hadn't told me!"
I stood in line and began thinking about what he said, I had a lot of time to think things through since that line was moving VERY slowly. How is it that we worry about someone having to wait too long in a line so we tell them about a tiny ticket that will save them time, but we don't worry so much about telling them about Christ which will save them for eternity?
My mother told me a story the other day and I'm sure she won't mind me sharing it with you. She had gone grocery shopping and through a couple of minor incidents that happened she was feeling a bit discouraged. She finished her shopping and was sitting on the bench at the end of the cashiers line waiting for my dad and a Hutterite lady walked over to her. She saw that Mom was feeling a bit down so she plopped herself down beside her on the bench and point blank asked, "Do you know the Lord?", actually it sounds more melodic with their accent, "Do ya know da Lord?" and even though my mom acknowledged that she did know the Lord, this special woman proceeded to share her testimony with my mom. My mom called her her angel unaware, because even though my mom does know the Lord, it was an honour to have someone else share their love of Him at a time when she needed to be reminded that she was not alone. We have family out there who shares our love for Jesus Christ and we may not know their names, but if they are bold enough to share that love, if WE are bold enough, we have the priviledge of putting a face to that faith.
"Do you know the Lord?" A simple question with huge implications and we Christians know that it is a question worth asking...so why don't we? Personally, I think it could be one of our greatest pick up lines yet...hmmm
"we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well" 1 Thess. 2:8
I decided to take a quick nap on the road and a short while later we were at Polo Park. I carefully tucked the beautiful ring that I had received from Eva for Christmas into my purse, I needed to have it sized. We walked into the mall and it was mayhem, there were so many people you couldn't walk a straight line. Emotions were running high as people crowded around sales tables looking for just the right color in the right size, frustrated parents in a hurry for the best sale price ran yanking their kids behind them. I watched as people swirled around us everyone going their own direction and it was as though life had moved into high speed. I hardly knew where to step without stepping into, over or onto people. We made it to the Jeweller's and thankfully it was fairly quiet in there so we could catch our breathe. We didn't waste any time once we had completed our task, it was straight to the escalator and out the nearest door to our vehicle.
The other stores weren't much better, the clerks were tired and stressed, while still trying their best to be friendly. The lines were long and frantic, but, we kept going. We went to another store with a gift that needed to be exchanged. We entered the store and immediately went to the back of a long line and began our wait. I noticed a gentleman, about our age, who stepped out of his position in the line up and walked over to the counter and pulled out a ticket from the nice bright red machine sitting there.
"Oh, good grief" I said to Wes, "We should have taken a number!"
I was busy explaining to Wes where the machine was when suddenly that same gentleman stood beside us holding out the ticket.
"You're going to need this" he replied with a smile. We thanked him and watched as he walked back to the front of the line.
OK, so my faith in some humanity has been restored. The line behind us continued to grow and it seemed as though everyone knew about taking a number except us. Then a young man came in and I noticed that he stepped into the long line without going to get a number, so I quickly stepped out and with a smile and a wave of my ticket I said, "You're going to need a number!"
I showed him where it was and with a huge smile of relief he said "Thanks! That could have been a long wait!"
A few minutes later a young woman walked in and she too simply walked to the back of the line, but before I could say anything the young man whom I had just helped turned to her and said "You're going to need one of these!" She thanked him profusely and he said "No problem, I wouldn't have known either if someone hadn't told me!"
I stood in line and began thinking about what he said, I had a lot of time to think things through since that line was moving VERY slowly. How is it that we worry about someone having to wait too long in a line so we tell them about a tiny ticket that will save them time, but we don't worry so much about telling them about Christ which will save them for eternity?
My mother told me a story the other day and I'm sure she won't mind me sharing it with you. She had gone grocery shopping and through a couple of minor incidents that happened she was feeling a bit discouraged. She finished her shopping and was sitting on the bench at the end of the cashiers line waiting for my dad and a Hutterite lady walked over to her. She saw that Mom was feeling a bit down so she plopped herself down beside her on the bench and point blank asked, "Do you know the Lord?", actually it sounds more melodic with their accent, "Do ya know da Lord?" and even though my mom acknowledged that she did know the Lord, this special woman proceeded to share her testimony with my mom. My mom called her her angel unaware, because even though my mom does know the Lord, it was an honour to have someone else share their love of Him at a time when she needed to be reminded that she was not alone. We have family out there who shares our love for Jesus Christ and we may not know their names, but if they are bold enough to share that love, if WE are bold enough, we have the priviledge of putting a face to that faith.
"Do you know the Lord?" A simple question with huge implications and we Christians know that it is a question worth asking...so why don't we? Personally, I think it could be one of our greatest pick up lines yet...hmmm
"we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well" 1 Thess. 2:8
Comments
I have an idea for how you can stay distracted for a bit..... send me a piece of writing I can revise or edit?
You're absolutely right. I love the anecdote about the angel unaware. So true--- do we share? Thank you for encouraging me on a down day.
Marilyn
You have become such a wonderful email buddy. You always encourage me and thank you for taking the time to edit the outline that I'm working on! I really appreciated the suggestions you made and have made most of the changes, except I'm still struggling with the closing. I know you're so busy with your little ones, but maybe you could come and say 'hi' to me in the soundbooth again sometime soon?
Dinah