Today I went out sharing with my friend Alex on the beach. We went out initiating spiritual conversations and had three very different conversations.
The first conversation was with two women. Alex initiated the conversation and she began asking them questions. They believed in heaven and hell, but one needed assurance that she could be 100% sure of her eternal life in heaven. We shared with her that nothing she has done, is doing, or will do matters. What Christ has done for our sins on the cross is the only thing that matters. It is not by our works or actions but God's grace, and through faith in Christ as our savior we are saved.
The second conversation was with a man just entering retirement. His name was Joe. He said he is living a good life because he has everything he wants. He is financially sound, has a good job, he has traveled everywhere he has wanted and lives a care free life. He said he thanks God everyday because he is not below ground. He was very closed minded when we first started talking to him, but he let us talk to him a little longer. Joe thought that having a relationship with God was knowing of Him . It seemed as though he was living for himself and putting God second. I am not entirely sure where he is at in his relationship with God because we were not able to go through the whole gospel with him. Please keep Joe in your prayers.
The third and final conversation we got into on the beach was with a family. It was a father, Frankie, mother, Michelle, and one daughter and son. This conversation was truly a blessing from God. When we first initiate spiritual conversations we have a tool through Campus Crusade for Christ that we use which is called the Quest Survey. The survey is just five simple questions to transition from life questions into spiritual matters. I asked Frankie the first question, "What three words would you use to describe your life?" I believe they were hard, struggle, and challenging. After the individuals give their three word description we ask why they chose a certain word. We asked Frankie why life was a struggle or challenging and he really opened up about his past and current struggles. Frankie let us into his life and told of his pain and suffering. The first time he experienced hardship was when he was seven years old. His mother was stopped at a stoplight and a vehicle collided with her killing her. After his mother's death he was put in foster home to foster home until he was finally adopted. He said he wishes he could have know his mom. His current situation is not the easiest. A few years back he was in a car accident. He was stopped behind a school bus in his vehicle when a driver on their cell phone crashed into his vehicle. His left leg was broken at the knee and he is now disabled and has to walk with a cane. He used to frame houses for a living but now because of his leg he is unable to work. He only received $16,000 for the car accident. Just after his car accident his oldest of seven sisters died. The family was struggling to pay for the funeral. His six sisters did not have the funds to pay so he had to pay all the funeral costs. The $16,000 he received to help with his living expenses went to the funeral costs because the sisters weren't willing to pay. In the last year four of his family members have passed away. Less than a year ago Frankie's wife Michelle had an emergency surgery to remove a cancerous growth on her tonsils. She was a manager of a hotel and because she left for emergency surgery she was fired without notice. Frankie tried to support his family but he cannot work and his wife was unemployed. She has since found another job at a hotel but she does not make enough to support the family. Frankie gets disability checks worth $150 in food stamps, but that is not enough for him to feed his family in a month. Last month they were going to shut the lights off in his house because he cannot make payments. He went to a local church in the area but they could not help. He was discouraged and thought that Christians were supposed to help those in need. He and his family do not go to church. Frankie was not sure on what it meant to be saved in order to go to Heaven. He thought you had to go to church or be baptized, but Alex and I explained it has nothing to do with that. All you need is Christ in your life as your personal savior. We were privileged to be a part of Frankie and his family's life. He showed that he truly cared and loved his children. He often would tear up during the conversation and said he would do anything for them. He just wants to provide for his family but he feels as though he is failing. Doors seem to be slammed closed whenever an opportunity arises in his life. At the end of the Gospel presentation he said he desired to have a relationship with God but he was not 100% ready. I think his current situation is holding him back. Please pray for Frankie, Michelle, and their two kids. Pray that they may see God's love in all things. Pray that Michelle stays strong and patient as she cares and provides for the family. Pray for healing for Frankie so he may be able to be more mobile with his leg. Pray that God may continue to bless his family and that they may come to know Christ. Pray that they may be able to help find help in his community & churches in the area may be able to be open to love and help Frankie and his family.
Thanks & God Bless!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
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