Inquisition

Recently, while working, I was challenged, by my assistant manager, with the question "Why do you believe in God? What is your proof?" and I was blindsided, this question came out of nowhere and I had no real answer, the only thing I could think of in response was to gesture to the world around us and say "This is my proof. Every second you and I breathe is my proof; every morning we wake up and live is my proof." At this the curiosity seemed to disappear and he walked away, as if that is the answer he hears every time and didn't believe it. For the next several days I was replaying the scenario in my head wondering how I could have answered differently and what I could have said to make this man want to know Christ and I came up with many after-the-fact responses and each night I prayed for the words to say but I never found "the right time", I was too scared to bring it up. I went to church that Sunday, talked to fellow members about this encounter, got some advice, and prayed again and again for the words to say and the courage to speak to him on the matter again. Feb. 20 I finally mustered up that courage and said,

"Remember the other day when you asked me why I believe in God?"

                "Yeah."

"Well, I've got a proposition for ya. I want you to take one Sunday to come to my church, you don’t even have to stay for the service, I just want you to meet the people there and listen to their stories and you’ll understand why I know why God exists"

At this he just kind of smirked and said "All I need is proof. I’m not saying there is or isn't something out there, there might be, I just don’t believe it. Why don't you share one of these testimonies with me?" So I gave him the testimony and vision of our pastor Matt how his and six other families dropped everything to move here and start this church, how God spoke directly to Matt many times to give guidance and strength to carry on, and how the church started with six families getting together whenever time would allow and blossomed to hundreds of guests almost every Sunday morning. After about a 2hr. conversation he said something I had only heard once before.

           "Tell ya what, ten years from now when I'm on my death bed."

           "Ten years? Aren't you like 25?"

           "I don't expect to live much past 30, but when I'm there I'll pray and have this big spiritual epiphany and make the change."

That reminded me of something I saw while on vacation in Boston back in May. There was a guy standing on a street corner just outside of the Harvard Yard with his bible, preaching to anyone who passed by and would listen. There was a group of some guys standing by him heckling and commenting on everything he said trying to make him mad and leave and they said those exact same words and I'll never forget what the man said. I looked my assistant manager in the eyes and repeated what the Harvard man had said.

            " 'There is no next year, there is no next month, or next week. There is no tomorrow, you could go to sleep tonight and your heart just stops, but you never had a chance to truly repent. What happens then?' "

His response was simple "I'll look at the pearly gates and say 'Huh, I was wrong.' then take my escalator down to hell...I've already got front-row seats."

The second I heard this my heart broke into little pieces but, I am not going to give up, with the Lord on my side I will risk everything I have to help this man see Christ is here waiting for him, that he doesn't have to settle for a "front-row seat" in hell when he can trade that in for a one-way ticket to heaven with one of those little Disney Land line skipping fastpasses and whenever he decides to take that step Jesus will accept him no matter what. Please pray for God to put something in this mans life to help him see God is all around and accept Jesus into his heart. I'm going to talk with him again tonight at work and I pray that he will see the light.

God is good.