Sharing Jesus (Ken Ellis)

Lord willing, I am somewhere over the Pacific on my way to Can Tho, Vietnam, for four weeks. In my absence, a number of friends are filling in for me. This entry is by my brother in Christ, Ken Ellis. Pray for me!

We have the option at our church on Sunday nights of either meeting at our building for worship or meeting in homes with other Christians for fellowship and study.  So each Sunday night my wife and I meet with 15 other members in someone’s home.  At one of our meetings in April of this year, we discussed the work of our church supported missionaries and how we each might be missionaries on a daily basis.  I prayed that night that God would send someone to me with whom I could share Jesus since I am retired and don’t often find myself in settings where I meet many new people.

The next morning I drove to Walmart to return a pocket camera that I had purchased which had proven to be defective.  I saw no one around any of the cars as I pulled into my parking spot.  But as soon as I had come to a stop, there was a tap, tap, tap on my window.  A young pregnant woman who looked to be in her mid 20’s and wearing a backpack was staring at me.  When I let the window down, she showed me a hand written note which basically said the following:

“I am deaf and am selling hand made jewelry to raise $59.75 to buy food and things that I need to live on this week.”

With so many people trying to scam for a living, you never know who to believe; however, I agreed to look at her jewelry.  She pulled two small pouches from her backpack which were filled with beaded bracelets and necklaces.  She did have some hearing capability, but her speech was impaired.  I selected a beaded bracelet for each of my two granddaughters which I would have valued at maybe $7.50 each.  When I asked her how much , she replied, “Whatever you want to pay.”  As I pulled two twenty dollar bills out of my wallet that I hadn’t planned on spending, tears filled her eyes.  

I then asked if she had eaten, and she said, “No.”  We went into Walmart, and she selected a pre-made sandwich, two drinks and a bag of chips for which I paid.  Before she left, I said, “I’ve been blessed, but I need something from you.  I need a hug.”  She then gave me the biggest bear hug imaginable before going on her way.  I returned the defective camera and received $40.00. It was the same amount I had given her.

Was she the answer to my prayer?  Was she the one that I had asked God to send to me?  We hadn’t even discussed Jesus, but down deep inside I felt that maybe I had somehow shared a part of Jesus with her.

Applicable quote of the day:  “No one has ever become poor by giving.” Anne Frank

God bless, Steve Luke 18:1

www.hawleybooks.com E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com