Feed the Hunger - Do Something that Will Outlive You by Feed the Hunger

Feed the Hunger DO SOMETHING THAT WILL OUTLIVE YOU

Joseph L. Williams

Table of Contents Chapter One: Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a Dead Alien

Chapter Two: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Chapter Three: The Hunger Within

Chapter Four: Wear the Invisible Sign

Chapter Five: Cause and Effect

Chapter Six: Make Your Parents Proud

Chapter Seven: You Can Be Smarter than You Think

Chapter Eight: Lab Coats and Goggles Optional

Chapter Nine: Close Encounters of the God Kind

Chapter Ten: Your Seven-Day Experiment

Chapter Eleven: Know Jesus?

Chapter One

You’re a Dead Alien I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. Galatians 2:20 I think you would agree, whether you believe in God or not, that doing something meaningful with your life as you grow older is the ultimate goal. Making a difference between the cradle and the grave just makes sense. Otherwise, what is life worth living for? Living for self with a blind eye to the present and future isn’t too smart. No matter how much stuff we accumulate in life, we can’t take it with us when we die. If you are a follower of Christ, your life has definite purpose and meaning because Jesus commanded us to love Him, love others, and help fulfill what is referred to as the Great Commission—telling people around the world about His love for everyone. Even though the Bible is a clear guide for you and me, it can be hard to live every day with heaven and eternity in mind. It’s easier to just sit back and enjoy the 5

pleasures of this life. And in America, where temptation and treasure abound, the struggle is incredible. It’s hard to accept that life is short, that it is not ours to begin with, and that it is in a constant state of change. You’re Dead Galatians 2:20 is a stark reminder that once we ask Jesus into our hearts, it is now He who lives in us. When we accept that Jesus died for our sins, and rose from the dead to defeat death for us, we are then giving Him control of our lives. We are here to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives, not our own. It is not our body. It is not our life. It is not our world. We are here It all belongs to Him. to fulfill God’s So before we can really make a purpose for our difference in the lives of others, lives, not our own. we have to realize that we’re dead. “Dead as a doornail,” as Scrooge’s business partner, Marley, once put it. Christ lives in and through us, a reality that can be a little tough to adsorb—and to live out.

You’re an Alien Too Do you ever feel as though you don’t belong here? Do you feel out of place, out of sync with your environment? Here’s the comforting thing. You don’t belong here. You’re an alien. Go ahead—imagine yourself with purple skin, three eyes, and seventeen toes. You are living on a planet that isn’t your home and using a body that is only The sooner we temporary. embrace the fact If that weren’t hard enough, that we are just you and I exist in a place that passing through has totally lost its rhythm with a wondrous yet God. It has been out of sync ever sinful place, the since the Fall of Man, since that better. first bite of the forbidden fruit by Adam and Eve. As a result, we are imperfect beings living for a perfect God in an imperfect world. Yet we are bound for a perfect existence in His perfect creation. Confusing? It should be. You’re an alien after all. Peter calls us “aliens and strangers in the world” (1 Peter 2:11). The sooner we embrace the fact that we are just passing through a wondrous yet sinful place, the better. But it’s a place that we each need to impact for the Lord. 7

Set the Microwave for Fifteen Seconds Coupled with the fact that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all dead aliens is that we are also living in an unstable environment. Our lives can change in a second. How long does it take for one breath? One heartbeat? One clap of the hands? How long does it take to read one word? To say something rash? To make one wrong choice? In a world of uncertainties, one thing seems certain: life is like a microwave. It only takes seconds to totally change every facet of our life. One minute weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a frozen block of food, the next minute, a sizzling meal. Our world can be turned upside down just as quickly. Even as you are reading this sentence, the phone might ring, your child might wake up, or you might get a headache. These may seem like minor occurrences, but consider this: What if the phone call brings bad news, your child wakes up sick, or your headache alters your planned activities? Suddenly, these seemingly innocent and quickly passing events carry a new weight and alter the future. These random actions happen at an unbelievable pace and can change our lives so quickly. You can be walking down the road one minute, and the next, fall and break a bone, be struck by a car, or suffer a heart attack and die on the side of the road as my grandfather did at the age 8

of fifty-nine. Stop Depressing Me Already! I’m not trying to make you paranoid or depressed! The purpose in getting you to ponder your life is not to make you worry about how long you will live, feel insecure because you don’t belong, or fear what might happen from minute to minute. It is, however, so important that you appreciate life. Are you thankful for your loved ones, for the peaceful days, for your health? Do you appreciate that God knows all; that He is in control even when it doesn’t feel as though He is? You might say, “I do appreciate life. I love God, my family, and my friends. I even like my job. I go to church, and I volunteer on occasion.” Okay. Then let me ask you this: How do you appreciate life? Do you indulge, just drift along, or do you serve God and others with passion? In other words, do your actions reflect your appreciation to God for the life you’ve been given? Do you live your life for Him? I bet you struggle with this from time to time as I do. Whether you are a baby boomer or a member of Generations X or Y, everyone is a part of Generation Me. It is tempting for all of us—no matter when we’re 9

born—to live life primarily for ourselves, pampering ourselves with all this world has to offer. While it’s okay to want some things, they can become distractions to the life God intended for us—a life full of being so much more, a life of feeding the hunger in others. These things, these desires, can easily become deserts that create insatiable thirsts. They will never bring full and lasting satisfaction. They only seem to satisfy for a season. They feel so good too, especially early on. Sooner or later, though, discontentment begins to set in for most people, and they look for the next fix or obsession. Others may pursue a selfish lifestyle all the way to their death, never realizing that life can be something so much more. However, before we really get started and learn more about the hunger in us, let’s dig a little deeper into the reality of eternity. Read on!

Chapter Two

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 Road Trip! When my wife and I take a road trip with our children, the inevitable questions come from the kids. “How much further?” “How many more minutes?” “Are we there yet?!” The kids don’t yet fully understand the concept of time or how to get to my in-laws’ house on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. My children do know, however, the good time they will have once we get there. So they’re willing to endure the ride (mixed with some impatience) until we get there. The same could be said of my own concept of eternity as a follower of Christ. I know my time in heaven is coming, even though I don’t fully understand eternity, all that’s going on around me, or what God is, has been, and 11

will be doing. As a believer, I won’t always understand the journey, but I know where my destination is and Who is in control. You have to admit, though—it is hard for the finite human mind to grasp the thought of eternity. We can’t really wrap our minds around it, so it can be frustrating or even quite scary to think about something that has no beginning or end. In this world, everything has definite boundaries. Each minute, hour, day, week, year, and lifetime has a beginning and an ending point. Every workday, meal, vacation, and chore has a start and a finish. (Okay, well, some chores don’t seem to have an end!) Our lifetime here on earth is so very short compared to eternity. Perhaps if we truly understood this, we would live our lives differently. Our existence here on earth is but a vapor, a blink of an eye, a snap of the fingers compared to eternity. Yet what we do with this brief human existence affects all of eternity. From 969 Down to 70 The Bible shares stories about people of all ages. They range from babies who died at birth to Methuselah, who lived to be 969 years old. He was the oldest man the world has ever seen. Jared was a close second at 962 12

years old. He was the great-great-great-grandson of Adam (930). Noah picks up the bronze medal for oldest man at 950 years old. The other day I went to a website that made an interesting claim. If I answered their simple but numerous questions about my health and my family’s health history, it would estimate what age I will live to be. I did the questionnaire, and according to this website, I will live to be 76. This might sound pretty good to you, but it tells me that I’ve lived almost half of my life. So I’m trying to figure out what to do with the second half! My wife’s grandparents were great modern-day examples of longevity in life and marriage. They were married for seventy-two years and died at ages 89 and 92. Many marriages today don’t last seventy-two months, some not even seventy-two days. When God brought the flood to earth during Noah’s day as a result of man’s wickedness, He decided that most people from that point on would not live past 120 years (Genesis 6:3). Later in the book of Psalms, Moses tells us that the average person should expect to live to be between 70 to 80 years old (90:10). A lifetime may seem long to us because we’re living it moment by moment over the course of (hopefully) many years. Held up against the hourglass of time, however, 13

our lives are but one gasp of breath, one snap of the fingers, one wisp of wind. The sooner we grasp that life is short, the sooner we will want to make sure we are doing something with our time to make a difference in other people’s lives for eternity. Eternity = 100 Years Consider the following analogy to help you better understand your life compared to eternity. Pretend that eternity is 100 years long. Now convert those years into hours. There are 876,000 hours in 100 years. Your human life is like one hour—the next hour. What you do with this one hour, and only this one hour, affects the next 876,000. What would you do with the next hour—starting from this very moment? I would hope that if you are a follower of Christ, you would stop reading this book and immediately find a family member or friend who might not know the Lord. I imagine you would lose most of your fear and inhibition. After all, you only have an hour to do something meaningful! Hopefully you would be driven with urgency to share the Savior of the world with as many people as possible. Let’s make the comparison even more dramatic. Once again, pretend that eternity is 100 years long. Now 14

convert those years into minutes instead of hours. There are 52,560,000 minutes in 100 years. Your human life is like one minute—the next minute. What you do with this next minute, and only the next minute, affects the next 52.5 million minutes. How would you spend the next minute? What would you do with it? I’m pretty sure that, once again, if you are a believer, you would stop reading this book and find the closest person to you now or We need to be call someone dear to you and about the Lord’s make sure their eternity was business—feeding secured in heaven. You would the hunger in carry out this mission with a others for Him. level of passion that you’ve probably never had before. Nothing else would matter compared to sharing your faith in Christ, would it? Well, dear reader, this is exactly how we need to be living life while we have a chance to affect eternity. We need to be about the Lord’s business—feeding the hunger in others for Him. Yet it can be so hard to live this way. It is so easy to get lulled to sleep and slip into complacency with daily 15

schedules, selfish pursuits, and carnal desires. Your time with God might often be reduced to a quick prayer over breakfast, a speedy appeal for the light to turn green because you’re running late, or a fleeting request for some deep need as you fall asleep. The Road Trip Revisited Think again about the analogy of my children on the road trip. It can be hard for them to occupy their time with fruitful behavior until they reach Granny and Granddad’s house. Instead of watching a movie or playing a video game, perhaps my children should spend their time with more worthy endeavors, like reading a book, talking to us and each other, or coloring a picture for someone who is sick or having a birthday. The same could be said of how we utilize our time while on earth. Instead of spending time watching television, surfing the Internet, or working to accumulate stuff that has absolutely no eternal value and can’t go to heaven with us, maybe we should be spending time in prayer, reading the Bible, and investing in meaningful relationships. In Ephesians 2:10 Paul states that we “are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” As long 16

as we are on this earth, we need to be about the Lord’s business. We must be about the Lord’s business. That is the only way to feed the hunger in our hearts and in the hearts of others. James 2:14 poses a very good question: “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?” Our faith in Christ must be shown through our actions. We can’t just sit back and wait for eternity. We only have this one hour, this one minute, to take the road trip called the human life. Before we arrive at our eternal destination, each of us needs to live a life of substance, full of good works done for God’s glory.

God’s Minute I only have a moment, Only sixty seconds in it. Forced upon me, Can’t refuse it, Didn’t seek it, Didn’t choose it, But it’s up to me to use it. I must suffer if I lose it, Give account if I abuse it. Just a tiny little minute, But eternity is in it. —Anonymous

Chapter Three

The Hunger Within You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat. Matthew 5:6 (The Message) Everyone has a spiritual hunger. Every person who has ever lived or will live has this supernatural need, placed there by the Creator of the heavens and the earth. The question is whether or not you recognize it during your lifetime, whether you recognize Him as both the Source of the hunger and the only One who can satisfy it. Many people feed their spiritual hunger in all the wrong ways. I have seen it all over the world. I’ve been to Hindu shrines, Buddhist temples, and mosques where people are hopelessly trying to get their god’s attention through repetitious prayers and vain rituals. Their religions are based primarily around works, in hopes that these socalled higher beings will pay attention to them and improve their lives. Maybe you’re one of those people. If religion doesn’t feed this spiritual vacuum, people 19

then try to devote themselves to their jobs, their hobbies, and even their families. As noble as family may seem, the hunger won’t be satisfied. Emptiness and yearning will remain. Why, you may ask? Sooner or later people will disappoint you. People will let you down. People will fail you—even your family. Just as you can go your whole life trying to feed your spiritual hunger in all the wrong ways, you can also go your whole life trying to feed the There is only one hunger in others in the wrong way to truly feed ways too. We can do great works the hunger in our in the eyes of others by getting hearts and in the involved in worthy outreaches hearts of others. and causes such as providing a meal at the homeless shelter, helping a neighbor in a bind, or donating money to a worthy charity. We might gain a sense of accomplishment and good feelings about ourselves when we help others, but no act of good work will ever fill the void. There is only one way to truly feed the hunger in our hearts and in the hearts of others. 20

If you don’t believe in Jesus, nothing you do will save you or them. It won’t matter how devoted you are to what you do or how much time or money you give to help others. The benefits of the actions of a person without Christ will never leave this earth. They’re grounded. Depressing, isn’t it? The Only True Source Here is the great news. Our spiritual hunger can be totally fed. And all of the good works we do for others can live on forever—under one condition. Perhaps you have heard of the concept that there is a God-shaped void or hole in every person that only He can fill. It is only through a relationship with Jesus that our every sin can be forgiven and the hunger in our souls can be filled. The Bible clearly states that Jesus is “the way and the truth and the Life” (John 14:6). It is a relationship with Him, not a religion, that brings about this change in you. There is a great teacher named John Stott who believes there are three things that everyone—including you— strives to find. The first is transcendence—a fancysounding word that means we desire something greater than ourselves to believe in. The second is significance, our special identity and what we have to offer to the 21

world. The last is community. Everyone desires to be loved, to be in meaningful relationships with others. Dear reader, these pursuits cannot be achieved without accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Only He can love you unconditionally, only He can give you significance, and only He can give you eternal life. If you don’t know Jesus Christ, I encourage you to hit the pause button on this part of the book and go to the chapter called “Know Jesus?” It will guide you through the process of what to do next. Then return here. If you have asked Jesus into your heart, then you need to make sure you are living for Him, not yourself. You need to be about the business of helping people for God’s glory. Whole Lotta Hunger Out There Whether people have their spiritual hunger met by Jesus or not, they have physical and emotional hunger too. People are hurting, and they need help. We can help them. We need to help them. God wants to use us to help them. I’m sure you can relate to this as well. You’re one of the people who are hurting. At any given time, you have physical and emotional struggles in your life. Maybe you have a conflict with a family member, a debt you don’t 22

know how to get out of, or you are just plain lonely. We all have problems, and God often uses other people to help us overcome them. This is what makes the community of Christ-followers so incredible. Since we serve the Lord, He gives us the ability to meet the needs in each other. We just need to break away from all of the hindrances We all have and excuses, rely on Him, and problems, and God start caring for each other. often uses other In Matthew 25:35â&#x20AC;&#x201C;40, Jesus people to help us tells us that when we help overcome them. those who have physical and emotional hunger, we are helping Him. He lists meeting physical needs such as thirst, hunger, and lack of clothing. In regards to emotional needs, He mentions visiting those in prison and inviting in or helping the stranger. By serving other people Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way and for His glory, we are feeding the hunger in ourselves to live a life of significance and in meaningful relationships with others. After all, it is only our relationship with God and other believers, and what we did for Him, that follows us into eternity. 23

Time to Start Feeding “To be or not to be. That is the question.” These are the famous words of Shakespeare in his play Hamlet, as the title character pondered whether life was worth living. I believe there is a hunger in all people “to be.” There is a desire, a craving to do something of substance. What is this “more” to life? Is it staying out of trouble? Being good? Partially, but that only makes you a good citizen. Is it doing good works? Being a good humanitarian? Sort of, but that only temporarily comforts the people you’re helping on their way to a Godless eternity. I hope from what you’ve read so far, you are convinced and/or reminded of some truths. I pray you realize that this life you have is not your own and it is very short. You have a spiritual hunger within you that only God can fill. Once you accept this by faith, He gives you a heart to feed the hunger in others. In the pages that follow, I’m going to show you a simple way to implement this lifestyle of feeding the hunger in others on a daily basis. And in turn, you will feed the hunger in you as well. You will experience significance and fulfillment like never before. The concepts shared in the rest of this book are not 24

difficult to understand. You will not be confused or perplexed by the language used or the suggestions made. It is not hard to grasp, but it does take discipline and perseverance to integrate into your life the three simple practices I will share with you. And here’s the really neat thing—you will learn how to make a difference for eternity on a daily basis. It’s much easier than you think, and it’s more than just praying! You need to be about the Lord’s business—now. Everything else takes a distant second place to His agenda for you. So let’s get started!

Chapter Four

Wear the Invisible Sign So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Romans 12:1 (The Message) When my siblings and I were growing up, our mother would sometimes come to the dinner table and say, “I was wearing my sign today.” We all immediately knew what that meant, started laughing, and prepared ourselves to hear an interesting story. What my mom meant was that someone had engaged her in a conversation earlier in the day. She thought this happened because she was wearing an invisible sign that said: “Come talk to me no matter what I’m doing.” Sometimes it was a heartfelt talk, and at other times the person was rather unique and even strange. If you ever have a chance to meet her, you can get her to tell you stories of some of these encounters, such as the toothless man who danced when he talked. 27

The point is, my mother was available. No matter where she was at the time, she was usually sensitive to the Holy Spirit leading her to make eye contact and interact with a particular person, whether they were a Christian or not. She was available to the people around her on this basic level. Like my mom, we all need to wear an invisible sign that says “I’m available.” It is crucial to be available for God’s use. So the first step, the first key, the first way we need to feed our hunger and the hunger in others is to be available. The verse at the beginning of this chapter urges you to offer yourself to God for Him to use. In other words, make yourself accessible. Be on hand and ready to act, much like the fire department responding to a call. There is a small window to respond before a crucial moment has passed. It is important to remember that when you accept Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior, you no longer live for yourself. You’re a dead alien, remember? He is living through you. As we’ve already read, you have been crucified with Christ and you no longer live, but Christ lives in you. Jesus is the greatest example of how to live a life that makes a difference for eternity. Look no further than 28

what He said and what He did to guide you. In regards to being available . . . our Savior was. Whenever Jesus saw a large gathering of people, He had compassion on them. Often He would minister to them and heal them (Matthew 14:14). He was also available to “We need to be the disciples as well—pouring holding up a sign His life into them, teaching, encouraging, and motivating to God that says, them. He gave His life in “Will work for service to people, regardless of You.” who they were. You’ve probably seen a homeless person standing at an intersection or highway exit ramp holding a sign that says, “Will work for food.” In the same way, we need to be holding up a sign to God that says, “Will work for You.” But I Don’t Want To! What are some deterrents to being available? It’s important to figure out what is keeping you from being on hand to help others. I have to be honest with you. At one time or another I have been guilty of all sorts of excuses. Contemplate 29

the following roadblocks and see which ones are keeping you from being available on a daily basis. A big deterrent is the busyness of life. Wow, everyone’s life has gotten so busy these days! You might be one who is guilty of packing your daily life full of stuff. You’re busy all day at work or school and then you come home to a new set of responsibilities, activities, and plans. It is so easy to squeeze God out. Though I am ashamed to say that, it is sometimes true for me. It takes a conscious effort, a discipline, a daily practice to make myself available to the Lord. You and I both need to realize that He is more important than whatever we have on our plates each day. In the long run, what we do for Him is the only thing that matters. Do you struggle with selfishness and pride? Maybe you like life just the way it is. You like your routine and the feeling of being in control. You’re not in any hurry to be available. You’re young; you’ve got your course set. Or you’re older and retired and ready to finally be in control of your time. You think you know better than the Lord. Or how about fear? This is a big one. There are times for all of us when we are afraid of what God is going to ask us to do if we make ourselves available to Him. He may choose to take us outside of our comfort zones and our so-called abilities. But as followers of Christ, we’re 30

not supposed to do anything in our own ability anyway; we’re supposed to rely on Him. The book of Zechariah tells us that we are to live “not by might nor by power, but by [God’s] Spirit” (4:6). Remember the disciples? Did any of them have the ability in the eyes of men to do what they did? They were “unschooled, ordinary men” (Acts 4:13). So you and I can’t use the excuse that we’re not good enough, smart enough, or skilled enough for the Lord to use. God is looking for people who are available, not able. What about guilt? Do you have some past or present sin in your life that is keeping you from living with peace and joy? God is looking for I bet it is really weighing you people who are down. You feel like saying to available, not able. the Lord, “I’m not worthy for You to use right now. Ask me again tomorrow or next year when I don’t feel so bad about myself.” You need to confess this sin and move on. Maybe you’ve asked God to forgive you, but you haven’t forgiven yourself. Please remember—God completed the work of salvation through His Son’s death 31

and resurrection. Thanks to Him, we have victory over death and sin. Embrace this! Don’t live a life of defeat, for that is exactly what the devil wants. Lastly, maybe you’re not available because you’re simply not asking. You’ve had this hunger to make a real difference, but for whatever reason, you haven’t made the effort to figure out how to feed it. Simply tell the Lord you’re ready. As Isaiah said, “Here am I. Send me!” (6:8). Check Your Excuses at the Door Many major cities have large monuments that welcome you to enter and enjoy what they have to offer. New York has the Statue of Liberty. Paris has the Arc de Triomphe. Mumbai has The gateway to the Gateway of India. being available is The gateway to being available prayer. is prayer. It opens up a whole new world of opportunities and adventures. I urge you to eagerly go through its gates and discover what the Lord has for you to do in this lifetime. I have found a great way to combat all of these excuses 32

and get over the hump of not being available. Spend the best part of your day alone in prayer and study with the Lord. Now for me, this is first thing in the morning, when my mind and body are most at peace and alert. For my wife, this happens late at night. We have different times when we best communicate with the Lord. (We’re still trying to find the best time to communicate with each other too. It must be sometime in the middle of the day, I’m not sure yet!) Just a few things about prayer and time with the Lord. It needs to become an ingrained part of our lives. We need to be doing it daily as I said, but that should just be the beginning. Don’t just say a quick prayer over your morning cereal or lunch sandwich. “Bless this meat. Let’s eat!” Come to the point where you develop a lifestyle of prayer, to the point where you are praying continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Remember that prayer is two-way communication between you and God. Think of two walkie-talkies. Are they worth anything if only one is used? Our prayers should involve talking and listening. Get in the habit of hearing what God puts in your heart, mind, and soul. Take a break from your long list of requests, be still, and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). 33

Make a commitment today to pray more, to spend more time with God. You wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t regret it! As we become more available to Him, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll become more accessible to the people He wants us to touch.

Chapter Five

Cause and Effect In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6 Your journey has begun! You have taken the step of trying to be available to God and others. If you start practicing this every day, something great will happen. Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daily direction will become clearer to you. You will begin to see Him use you in small and big ways that you thought werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t possible. He wants to use you, so have faith that He will. He will show you the people He wants you to engage, whether in a quick moment or a long conversation, whether to give a brief word of encouragement or to share your faith. This verse from Proverbs should really encourage you. Embrace the fact that as you go through life, God will show you the path to take. Distractions and sidetracks will come from both convincing and foolish sources alike. Just try to keep your eyes on the Lord, and He will show you what to do. 35

At some point in school, you learned or will learn about causality—the relationship between cause and effect. Now don’t panic! I’m not going to get into a deep explanation of this—mainly because I’m not that deep. So much in this world operates on cause and effect. For example, if I bump my head, it’s going to hurt. If my wife calls my cell phone, it will ring. If one of my children doesn’t flush the toilet, I will get upset. Look at some examples of cause and effect from the Bible: Verse James 4:8

Cause Come near to God

1 John 1:9

Confess your sins

Proverbs 3:6 Acknowledge God

Effect He will come near to you God will forgive you He will make your paths straight

The point for this chapter is that if you recognize and follow God, He will make your path straight. The Message phrases Proverbs 3:6 this way: He “will keep you on track.” He will show you what to do if you’re available. Cause and effect.

Pay special attention to the following three ways that God will direct your path The Ultimate Flashlight My children love singing the chorus based around Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” When I read this verse about the Bible or hear if you recognize the chorus, I immediately have and follow God, the mental picture of a hiker He will make your walking down a mountain path path straight. with a flashlight. The hiker uses it to make sure he is keeping on the trail, to look for any roots or rocks that might cause him to stumble, and to see if there are any obstacles in his path. The Bible serves you and me in the same way. God’s Word is an incredible gift, a light that He has left us. It will guide and direct us every day of our lives! It is chock full of countless stories, parables, and teachings that show us how to live. If you are taking a class at school, you have a textbook. If you are putting together a bicycle, you have a manual. If you are taking a road trip, you have a map. Likewise, 37

God gave you the Bible to teach you, to use as a constant reference at every step of life’s journey, and to explain how to navigate life. Do you get the point? God has given you the greatest book ever written. So use it! Don’t let it sit on your shelf collecting dust bunnies. Spiritual Radar Since I am in full-time mission work, I have to travel frequently, racking up a decent amount of frequent flyer miles. I am thankful that each plane is equipped with many pieces of sophisticated equipment to make sure I arrive safely at the next destination. Perhaps I’m most thankful for radar, which allows the pilots to detect altitude, direction, speed, and range using high-frequency radio waves. The pilots trust the radar with their lives and the lives of everyone on the plane. We have our own internal radar system called the Holy Spirit. As followers of Christ, we have the Spirit to guide and direct us through everyday life. Yet I would bet that this is the most under-utilized part in most believers’ spiritual walks. Jesus told the disciples that He would send them the Holy Spirit, who would “guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). This power is available to all believers, so we 38

need to develop sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. It takes practice and discipline to discern if the internal voice or guidance we are sensing is coming from our own thoughts, from the devil, or from the Holy Spirit. Get your spiritual radar up and running! Safety in Numbers There are about a dozen people in my life who give me wise advice. I communicate with them as the need arises. I share with them my struggles and challenges. They also have permission to confront me at any time about something I am doing, whether it is to give encouragement, warning, or comfort. Proverbs 15:22 has been a guiding verse for me: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Notice it doesn’t say we need the help of one or two people. It uses the word “many.” So the third way God directs you and me is through wise counsel. Surround yourself with those who have a close walk with the Lord. Find advisers who are in fulltime ministry, successful in business, great spouses and parents, and traveling through life with integrity. They will help you on your path of serving God and serving others. They will help feed your hunger as you help feed the spiritual, emotional, and physical hunger in others. 39

Take the First Step Many people don’t think they can make a difference in people’s lives. They’re too afraid, too insecure, or feeling too guilty over decisions they’ve made in life. Others simply don’t want to make a difference. They’re selfish, lazy, or just not ambitious. They like life just the way it is. They don’t rock the boat, they don’t look to the left or right, and they don’t change course. Life is going just the Let the Lord use way they want it. you in ways you’ve There are many reasons to never dreamed. keep you from being available to God and others. Don’t let another day pass without making a new commitment to the Lord. Study His Word, begin to realize when the Holy Spirit is leading you, and surround yourself with wise advisors. Let the Lord use you in ways you’ve never dreamed. But this will only happen if you are available. Cause and effect! If you haven’t started, it is time to offer yourself to God as a living sacrifice. Your life is not your own; it is His. So be open for Him to use you to touch others on a daily 40

basis. This process is greatly helped if you spend more time with God in prayer. It is crucial that we spend time in prayer every day. Let’s now combine availability and prayer into a simple first step. This will help to get you started on the road to feeding the hunger in you and the hunger in others. Start each day—whether you’re a morning person or not— with a simple prayer: Lord, I am available today. Show me at least one person to touch with Your love.

Chapter Six

Make Your Parents Proud Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13 Perhaps you are familiar with the famous slogan of Nike Corporation: “Just do it.” The statement is simple yet powerful, and most Americans immediately think of the Nike “swoosh” logo identified with these three simple words. This trademarked slogan has been everywhere in the public eye. God’s Word also has a particular message for you that needs to be branded to your heart, much like a shirt with an embroidered name or logo. Just as you need to wear the imaginary “I’m available” sign, there is another message that needs to be imprinted upon your heart. Copy Success One of my favorite people in the Bible is Solomon. His life and decisions intrigue me. Among his many accomplishments, he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. 43

The Greek translation for this strange word is “teacher.” Solomon referred to himself as such in the first verse of this book. Solomon the Teacher, the wisest man who ever lived, shared the true meaning of life in his book. So if you’ve struggled with this most ultimate of questions, you’re about to get the answer. Are you curious as to what it is? Solomon spent practically his whole life trying every pursuit and pleasure to figure out the meaning of life. He concluded several times that “everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” However, in the very last chapter, he finally shared Availability and with us the true meaning of obedience go life: “Fear God and keep His hand-in-hand. commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Here is the extremely important second step to feeding your hunger, a second thing you must do to bring substance to your life. You’ve made yourself available. God has directed you through the Holy Spirit, through His Word, or through wise counsel to do something. 44

Now guess what? You have to do what He has told you to do! You have to obey. Availability and obedience go hand-in-hand. God put us on earth to obey Him, to carry out what He has for us to do. Anything outside of His plan will leave our hunger unfed. This is the message we need to imprint upon our hearts. When God gives us a command, we need to be obedient—and quickly. Be active like the book of Psalms encourages: “I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands” (119:60). As I’ve said before, we need to look no further than the life and teachings of Jesus as our greatest example. He was obedient to God just as He was available for God to use. What did He say about obedience? In John 6:38, Jesus reminded the disciples why He came to earth: “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” Jesus came here to obey what God had for Him to do. It’s the same for us.

A Shining Example A few years ago, there was a missionary in Iraq, a woman in her thirties named Karen Watson. She knew 45

that she would be in harm’s way and might not live through the experience of serving God in this war-torn country. She decided to go ahead and write a letter to her pastors to share with the congregation in case she died. Unfortunately, Karen’s vehicle was ambushed. She and a couple of other aid workers were mercilessly gunned down and murdered. The letter to her congregation was very moving, but a couple of statements stood out to me. Karen wrote: “When God calls, there are no regrets.” Then later she wrote this powerful declaration: “I was not called to comfort or success, but to obedience.” To the world, Karen might have looked foolish. Why didn’t she stay in the U.S. where she was safe? Why didn’t she get “I was not called to married and start a family? Why comfort or success, did she intentionally put herself but to obedience.” in harm’s way, and when she was still relatively young? When we obey God, we may not look like a success from a human standpoint. But we need to have God’s point of view. When we are living our lives for the Lord, the results are up to Him, not us. We cannot move people’s hearts; only He can. He just wants 46

us to obey what He’s told us to do. Roll Out the Excuses It is sometimes really hard to be obedient, don’t you think? Just as there are deterrents to being available for God to use you, there are deterrents to obedience. As we saw earlier, these are excuses like busyness of life, pride, guilt, and so on. Perhaps fear is what most often keeps us from obeying what God has for us to do. Let’s say God has just directed you to do something hard, maybe even scary. Obeying God will often take you out of your comfort zone, because He typically does not ask you to do things that you would normally do or feel you are even qualified to do. Look at Moses. He was afraid to be used by God because of his poor speaking ability. Yet he reluctantly obeyed. Do you think Moses was without fear when he picked up the snake, parted the Red Sea, or led the people in the desert for forty years? He wasn’t, but he learned to rely on God’s power and leading. Sometimes stubbornness keeps us from obeying God. Look at Jonah. He refused to go to the city of Nineveh because he didn’t think they were worth saving. He thought he knew better than God. But God needed him 47

to go. Jonah’s stubbornness led God to make things quite uncomfortable for him. So ponder this question: Do you think and live like you know better than God to the point of being disobedient? Sometimes we are not going to understand why God is telling us to do something. We may cry out, “Why in the world, Lord, did You tell me to do this?” There is something I’ve been doing with both of my children when they question obeying me. When I ask Nathanael or Abigail to do something, one or the other will sometimes respond, “But Daddy, why?” I get down on their eye level and lovingly say, “Nathan (or Abby), do you trust me?” “Yes,” they usually respond. Then I say, “So if you trust me, you need to obey me even though you don’t understand.” It is the same thing with the Lord. I’ve asked the Lord the same question: “Why are You asking me to do this?” I can just sense Him asking me in return, “Do you trust Me?” And I respond, “Most of the time (J).” “Well, then, you need to obey Me.” If you’re like me, you can come up with some good excuses for not obeying God, even some great ones. Everyone has them. And God is just waiting, saying, “Whenever you’re ready, I’ve already told you what to do.” 48

Dwell on this quote from the great missionary to China, Hudson Taylor: “God’s work done God’s way doesn’t lack God’s supply.” The Lord will give us strength and resources as we obey Him. Get a Bigger Light Bulb In Acts 5, Peter was before the religious leaders, talking about Jesus’ death and resurrection. He said to them: “We are The Lord will give us strength and witnesses of these things, and resources as we so is the Holy Spirit whom God obey Him. has given to those who obey him” (v. 32). Once again, we see that the Holy Spirit is there—to guide us not only as we make ourselves available to God but also as we’re being obedient. Find strength in the fact that you have the Holy Trinity, the Three-in-One behind you. Even though our limited human minds struggle with the reality of the Trinity, it makes it no less true. As you just read, the Holy Spirit is with you when you obey. Jesus said in the last verse of the book of Matthew, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the 49

age” (28:20). And God says to us as He said to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). Find strength in the fact that once you believe, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are always with you. Think about it this way. Why would someone only put a twenty-five-watt light bulb in the main light in their room, keeping the room dark and causing them to squint? The lamp was designed to handle more power. God made us to be His light in this dark world. Chances are, though, many of us have never really tapped into His power and shone brightly. So examine yourself for the motives that are keeping you from obeying. Then, find strength in God. When He clearly directs your path, tap into His power as you obey. You can do it. Obeying will make your parents proud—and God too! Let’s add a sentence to our daily prayer: Lord, I am available today. Show me at least one person to touch with Your love. Help me to obey what You have for me to do.

Chapter Seven

You Can Be Smarter than You Think Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. Proverbs 8:33 There are days when I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel too intelligent. I remember one early December I went out in the woods behind our house to cut down a tree that could be used as our family Christmas tree. I found one that was twice as large as we needed. No problem. I just climbed halfway up and began sawing. It should have been common sense to me, while I sawed with one hand, to hold on to the lower half of the tree with the other hand. Nevertheless, yours truly was holding onto the top half. This foolish choice didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t occur to me until I began my eight-foot fall to the ground as the saw finished its task. I think I crashed to the ground with a thud before the top half of the tree did! And I got a stump in the middle of my back to welcome me to the forest floor. This incident was not one of my brighter moments. There have been many days, before and since, that I have 51

not felt very smart. Maybe you have been disappointed with yourself at times too. Everyone makes mistakesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; often. Everyone. Anyone who says differently is not being honest. As the title of this chapter infers, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to share with you about wisdom. It is the third and crucial step that will help you feed the God-given hunger Just as availability within you to serve others. Just and obedience go as availability and obedience go hand-in-hand, so hand-in-hand, so do obedience do obedience and and wisdom. The verse for this wisdom. chapter demonstrates this truth. Obey God and be wise. Solomon Revisited Everyone is familiar with the fairy tale about the genie who grants three wishes to the lucky finder of the bottle in which the genie is trapped. Unlike this fantasy, God actually offered young King Solomon one such wish. You can read about the following incident in his life in 1 Kings 3. Solomon was only in his late teens or early twenties when he became the king of Israel after his father, David. Early in his reign, God gave him the opportunity to ask for 52

anything he wanted God to give him. You could assume that he probably considered riches, fame, women, and power. Amazingly, what he chose was to be wise. He knew how important this attribute would be as a young ruler. God was so pleased with his answer that He gave Solomon not only wisdom but everything else he didn’t ask for. Solomon became esteemed as the wisest man who ever lived. He proved it by his great works and his life, even though he stumbled with women as he grew older (see 1 Kings 11:1–6). Here is the point: if the man who would become the wisest the world has ever seen thinks the best thing to ask of God is wisdom, what do you think that means for you and me?! An Idiot’s Guide to Wisdom In the world today, wisdom has a reputation of being something only attained with age or a lot of education. No doubt they both can be sources of wisdom. Here’s the neat thing: the first and best way to attain wisdom is not by studying philosophy, and it’s not by asking other people. The Bible says all you have to do is ask for wisdom from God. Look at James 1:5–7 to guide you: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all 53

without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” So guess what? We’re all on the same playing field. We just have to have the common sense to ask God for wisdom. That’s where it all starts. Sure, it definitely helps to have important resources around you like intelligent counsel and great works of science and literature to study, but it all starts with God. He is our true Source of wisdom. Some may have a hard time believing this, and for those who do, there is trouble. The next two verses in James go on to say: “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord.” So ask and believe that God will give you wisdom. In my life, I’m trying to develop the discipline of asking God for wisdom every day. Just as I tell God that I am available for Him to use that day and ask Him to give me the strength to obey, I also ask for wisdom. There are some days when I’m in way over my head. That is okay, though. God likes to have you and me out of our comfort zone and dependent on Him. The key to wisdom is to be able to grasp how wise we are not without God’s help. We can never ask the Lord for wisdom too often. We can never have too much wisdom. And gaining wisdom is a journey, not a destination. 54

You Don’t Have to Be an Old Guy with a Long Beard How do you know you’re being wise? What does this look like? Movies and TV have provided a stereotypical image that is not helping the pursuit of wisdom. Perhaps you know what I’m talking about. When asked to picture someone wise, you might think of an old man with a long white The key to wisdom is to be able to beard, or maybe a Catholic monk grasp how wise or Buddhist lama, who is sitting up on a hilltop, meditating and we are not without God’s help. figuring out the great mysteries of life. Although wisdom certainly can come with age, this stereotypical image doesn’t motivate the young. So what does wisdom really look like? Before looking at what wisdom is, look at what it isn’t. In James 3:13–16, James writes about some unwise characteristics to avoid—“bitter envy and selfish ambition.” If you and I behave like this, it’s obvious we’re not being wise. Envy and selfishness breed “disorder and every evil practice.” Now look in verse 17. This clearly lists what wisdom 55

looks like: “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” It is interesting to note that this list is somewhat similar to the message that Jesus shared called the Beatitudes (found in Matthew 5:1–12). This should come as no surprise. Just as Jesus has been an example of how to be available and obedient, He is the best source for describing what wisdom looks like. Everything He said and did was wise. He demonstrated wisdom in its truest form and God loves to see a proved it in His actions. His person who longs humility and unconditional love was always evident. So study to do the right His life and His Word with thing all of the relentless passion. time. Now back to James. The first characteristic he mentioned is purity. Or as the Beatitude says: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). It is hard to be pure in today’s world, isn’t it? You and I can make a mistake or have a bad thought at the drop of a hat. The important thing is to 56

strive for purity. God loves to see a person who longs to do the right thing all of the time. Work hard to be pure. After this first characteristic of purity, there are six outward signs of wisdom. In other words, purity is the inner quality, and the qualities that follow are the outward proof that we are actually exercising wisdom. Take some time on your own to study these six characteristics. Remember that you will stumble. You will fall. Ask for forgiveness and move on. If I had a dollar for every time I asked the Lord for forgiveness, I wouldn’t ever need another job. Unfortunately, there are times when I’m not considerate, sincere, or being much of good to anybody. I confess, move on, and try to do better. So should you. As you strive to be pure, you will become: easier to get along with, gentle, ready to yield to others, one who doesn’t show favoritism but is merciful to everyone, and so sincere that it will shine through. People will see that you’re the “real deal.” There shouldn’t be a public version of you and a different private version of you. Be wise in all areas of your life. Now, let’s add one final sentence to our daily prayer: Lord, I am available today. Show me at least one person to touch with Your love. Help me to obey what You have for me to do. Give me the wisdom I need as I live for You. Amen. 57

Chapter Eight

Lab Coats and Goggles Optional For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:13 The sporting events that take place these days have turned into quite a production. I’m referring to annual games like the Super Bowl and the World Series, and even greater global spectacles like the Summer and Winter Olympics, and soccer’s World Cup. They’re often the highlight of the year involving hundreds of people, weeks of practicing, major construction, spending millions on promotion, and much more. The same analogy could be made with award ceremonies like the Grammy, Emmy, and Academy Awards. It is gratifying for all involved to see everything come together and finally take place. It is now time for you to take all that you have learned in this book and bring it together. It’s time to put into practice what you’ve read. The greatest Conductor of all 59

(God) is waiting to show you off to the world. You should be relieved to know that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to worry about being flawless or good in the eyes of people. You are doing it for God. He will be more proud of you than all of the parents sitting on the front row of that Christmas concert. Bring It All Together You have a spiritual hunger in your heart that only Jesus can satisfy. If you have asked Him into your heart, He will give you a desire to serve others. Resist the pull of this world that will keep you from giving your life to help others. The Lord wants to use you on a daily basis. If you make yourself available to God, He will show you what to do. Start your day with the simple prayer: Lord, I am available today. Show me at least one person to touch with Your love. Help me to obey what You have for me to do. Give me the wisdom I need as I live for You. Amen. Get your spiritual radar up so that you can recognize the person the Lord wants you to touch with His love. Be alert and realize as your day goes along when you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t yet interacted with the person God has for you. 60

Have faith that it will happen. This encounter can happen on any level, even as simple and brief as a smile. But I would venture to say that the vast majority of the encounters will involve at least a brief conversation. This can happen anywhere, such as the grocery store or at work. There are all kinds of scenarios, an infinite number of ways that this can happen during your day. The Holy Spirit may prompt you to say something to a particular person. Obey and be You will begin to wise. Watch how the discussion easily recognize develops. The more you do this, the person God the more you will recognize has for you to when the Holy Spirit is leading touch. You just you. Friends of mine who have know it. tried this found out, as I have, that you will begin to easily recognize the person God has for you to touch. You just know it. Let me also relieve you of somethingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;you are going to have days of success and failure. Remember the excuses used often to avoid obeying God? Believe me, I do. There have been days that the Lord has undoubtedly 61

shown me someone to say something to, but I gave Him an excuse why I couldn’t and I kept on going about my day. As I’ve said several times now, when this happens, ask for forgiveness and move on. Don’t worry about the results. You cannot change a person’s heart. Only God can. And embrace the excitement and nervousness. It proves that you care. Time to Give It a Try! We are surrounded every day by people who have spiritual, emotional, and physical hunger. God wants us to make a difference for eternity. Now you know how it can happen through you on a daily basis. It is time to put this whole strategy into practice. It is time to get out of the classroom and try this simple way of engaging the strangers and friends around you. Time to be vulnerable before God and let Him use us. Time to stop reading and start acting. People are hungry and they need our help. Over the next seven days, I want you to hold your own little experiment. Don’t worry; you don’t have to dress weird or act funny (unless that’s normal for you). For the next week, I want you to pledge to interact with at least one person a day as God directs you. By doing so, you will be making a difference for eternity every day 62

because you are letting God use you as He sees fit for His glory. You are probably familiar with the term “paper trail.” These are records that provide information about a certain activity or subject. I want you to create your own paper trail—especially over the next week as you do the experiment. Record both your successes and failures. This next week is very important. It will help determine God is going to if you can really apply what you’ve learned in this short start using you like never before. book. As a reminder, this is a journey, not a destination. You are simply getting in the habit of allowing yourself to be open and used by God as He desires. That in a nutshell is the purpose of this book. If you try this weeklong experiment diligently, you’re going to find out that great things can happen every day from here on out. Engagements like the ones I’ve challenged you to make can and should on some level become a permanent part of your life. Hopefully, you’ll want to take this up to another level, because God is going to start using you like never before. 63

And this should really pump you up! You’re going to begin really listening to the Holy Spirit—perhaps for the first time in your life. You’re going to see how He wants to use you with both people who are saved and people who are not saved. Both have a hunger that needs to be fed. Obviously, these engagements can be more than interacting with just one person a day. They are about whomever the Lord wants you to talk to that day, whether one person, five people, or more. Commit yourself to this lifestyle. Doing so will bring you a great level of satisfaction and fulfillment, knowing that what you are doing is making a difference for eternity. God will be working in and through you according to His plan and purpose. I have a special group of friends who meet together every week as an extension of our church. I shared with them what I have shared with you in this book. They committed to trying the experiment, and we had a good time swapping stories of our daily encounters. I have included some of these stories after this chapter. Use them as a guide to help you summarize your daily encounter. Then there are seven pages—one for each day of the next week—for you to record what happens during your own encounters. Include as much or as little detail as 64

you like. There is no right or wrong way. These stories will be a reminder to you of how God is using you for His glory. Let me close this book in prayer. Pray this prayer out loud with me: Lord, I first thank You so much for saving me, for calling me Your son (or daughter). Thank You for feeding my ultimate hunger. I also pray for those who have made new decisions or recommitted their lives to following You. Since You have saved me for all eternity, the least I can do in return is to offer You my life as a living sacrifice. I commit my whole life to You today, Lord, but also my everyday life. Help me to touch the people around me as You direct me. Help them to see the love of Christ in me even when I don’t feel like reaching out to them and regardless of my reasons or excuses. You want to use me, and I want to be used by You for Your glory. So today, I pledge to You that I am available. I ask for the strength to be obedient, and I definitely ask You for Your wisdom as I live for You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. That’s it. You’re ready to go! God has prepared us. To use a sports analogy or two, it is time to hit the field, time to get in the game. Time to make a difference for eternity. 65

Now get out there and feed the hunger in yourself and others. Show them Jesus!

Chapter Nine

Close Encounters of the God Kind Examples of daily interaction with others

I saw an eighty-three-year-old woman in my office for her shoulder. She had shown up on the wrong day for a different doctor and couldn’t be seen. I was happy to help her out with a visit. She was wheelchair bound, but quite lucid and wanted to talk. I addressed her shoulder and gave her an injection. I was available to talk about things besides her shoulder, so the conversation included her life and family. After the injection and as I was about to leave, I told her to have a good day and if ever she needed us to let us know. She had a sweet smile and said, “I’ll never forget you.” I don’t remember anyone saying that before, but it touched my heart. *** One day a friend called on my cell phone right before it was time to pick up my daughter. I almost didn’t answer because I thought she’d ask us to go out to lunch and I 67

didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really want to go. I felt that I needed to answer it, though. It turns out that she had lost her car keys. I picked up her daughter from school (the same school as my daughter), and helped her look for the keys for one hour in a department store. She was pretty stressed about it the whole time, scared of what her husband would do if she couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find them. I had to drive her home to get a spare set of keys, when she then finally found the keys in a bag of clothes! *** There was a couple walking on the road going the opposite direction I was traveling. I knew the Holy Spirit was directing me to stop and ask them if they needed something like a ride. But I kept going, blaming it on the schedule I was trying to keep. *** I was standing in the line at the grocery store, when I noticed a father and his two daughters in front of me. Something in my spirit nudged me to pay for their groceries. I then realized that the dad was searching for his wallet. He ran out to the car with his girls to search 68

for it. One of the girls came back and told the cashier that they couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find it. I asked her to please let me pay for the groceries. She went outside to tell her dad, only to return and politely decline. I went out to talk with the father, and after much insisting on my part, he hesitantly agreed and followed me back into the store. His eyes filled with tears, thanked me, and told me that it was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for him, and that he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think that people actually did things like that. The cashier was touched too. *** During class today, students were working on a critical thinking assignment for me. I noticed a girl was finished and writing in a journal instead of doing her second assignment. I asked her to start working on her assignment, and she looked up at me with some really sad eyes. I asked if she needed to talk. She said yes, so we went out into the hall. She didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let it all out, but she did relate some problems she was having with her mom (nothing specific). Later that day she said she was doing better. I have no idea if just being able to tell an adult made things better. I do know that normally I would not stop class like this to reach out to a student. 69

*** I failed at a chance while I was at Bible study. There was one person there who said she had outpatient surgery that week. I felt like I should’ve spoken to her because I know her, but I didn’t really feel like it. *** I phoned a good friend today. She paused when she heard my voice, and then said she had been thinking of me all day and was telling herself, “I need to call her.” As we chatted, I could hear she was very tired and frustrated. I asked her how she was doing, and she explained that her relationship with her business partner/friend was very strained at the moment. I felt led to gently ask questions to help her process what might be causing such a riff. We talked for about forty-five minutes and she felt much better. We arranged a time to meet up for dinner. *** A lady working at the grocery store dropped a bottle of vinegar on the floor right where I stood. Instead of 70

walking away, I tried to help her clean it up. *** Our family was taking an annual vacation, and I was in the den with both children. I had just flipped on the TV and was eating ice cream. My four-year-old daughter wanted some too, so we shared a bowl. Out of the blue, she made a comment about Jesus being in her heart. I immediately muted and then turned off the TV and asked her some questions. Had she prayed to ask Jesus into her heart? She said no. My wife joined in as we tried to fully understand where our daughter was in her understanding. I then walked her through the prayer, and she asked Jesus into her heart! She seemed to be particularly moved as she prayed. What an incredible day!

Chapter Ten

Your Seven-Day Experiment Day One Describe your encounter: