It was a loud bumpy ride in the old school short bus from downtown Atlanta to Decatur, GA. The atmosphere retro-ed me back to my high school years. Bus rides to the ball games spent pondering the thoughts and strategies of the game ahead, mentally preparing for “game time”.
However, on this day, a different kind of game was to be played. It was “game time” on the streets of GA, as our team prepared to pass winter survival kits as an excuse to engage in conversations with anyone the Holy Spirit would lead us to.
Parked and ready we receive a word from the Lieutenant, about practical and physical strategies to engage with those in the community over the next few hours. Pumped and ready we pour out of the double rubbered-covered doors, to the back “Emergency Door” were the survival kits awaited.
As many of you know, there is always a warm-up before game time. We opened with a word of prayer, broke out in pairs, and headed in all directions up and down the streets of GA. My husband Jeremy and I got about 10 healthy steps before we see a petite African American Woman literally running towards the bus. I’m sure she had just seen the bags and jackets we had been distributing out, and/or maybe the Salvation Army Logo on the side of the van. Who knows, nor does it matter, but our first door became wide open.
After about 10 minutes of conversation, and of course much confusion caused by the language barrier (seeing as that they were from the Congo in Africa) we managed to get to know them, asked if they believed in Jesus, and offer them a church to go to the next day. This was followed with some prayer over illness, and job searching, and a time to love on them as our new friends in the Lord.
Now is was time to play ball. The next hour consisted of some of the neatest and most life changing experiences we have had in a while. While walking and debriefing our time with the sweet African ladies, and a short restroom break, we continued up the road, unclear of anyone in site to speak with. I had remembered seeing a “man made path” heading up to the next road, almost like a cut through of sorts, I was curious but didn’t make a move. As we returned back from the top of the street, I notice the “short cut” again, and coming down it a man walking our way. Jeremy goes, “Well, lets’ go talk to him.”
Oh, how this was one that intimated me! A dark skinned man in almost like a long dress, with a scarf, smoking a cig. Yes, a man of the Muslim religion, one Jeremy was very intrigued with, and one I was totally intimidated by. We passed him a packet and engaged in conversation. He asked, “So are you all Christian?”, Jeremy answered, “Well, yes.” He replies, “Oh well, I am Muslim and God is the God over all things”. I thought (but did not say), “Heck YEA HE IS!”
Apparently, Muslims interpret that a little differently than believers do. The conversation was seizing as he continued to back away with a thank you but no thank you response.
We continued on our way towards the “short cut”, and hiked up the mini mountain straight into another side road, behind a gas station, and straight towards a man the Holy Spirit has put on my radar. As we neared him, we realized we had come on a bus stop. “Perfect!” I thought as I was redirected to another man sitting down on the curb, and Jeremy B-lined to the gentleman I had initially spotted from afar. I engaged in meeting this man, offering one of the survival kits to him, then he slowly looks up towards his wife, with the look that said “Here we go again. Some crazy white people out trying to do that Jesus thing.”
I gazed my eyes towards her as she walked up with a smile. Then, the Holy Spirit redirected my attention to her, as she asked me, “I’ve got a question for you.” I responded, “Sure, only if I can be honest with you as my answer!” She laughed and began for the next 5 minutes on her past “church” experiences. One of boastful pastors talking about themselves more than the bible, people in the church lying, pastors lying, and so on.
Immediately, I prayed in the Spirit as she talked, for 1. The bus to be delayed, and for 2. For the Holy Spirit to lead my words of encouragement to a woman who has been broken by others in the church. A woman who has been broken by others who claim to be followers of Jesus, sinful and hypocritical, doing the Sunday Morning Duty. A woman who had been broken by others in the church, as I have been.
I reminded her that, yes, in some churches unfortunately you will experience this. I shared personal experiences, and the breakthroughs, then directed right to the truth of the Gospel and the relationship with Jesus, salvation, and truth of God’s word that matters above all. She was locked eye to eye as I spoke of these things, and nodded as she seemed in agreement with each of them.
Praise God for the next doors that were opened, and the grace in my life He has covered me in to bring bold questions, and loving answers.
With the assumption that she was already saved, but just hurt from her time in the church, I asked “So, tell me about how you got saved?!” I love asking this question, and was pumped to hear her answer.
Her reply, “Well, I haven’t been saved yet…”
That’s when it happened, a “spiritual heart attack”, a pause on the world around us, and a look from a lost sheep I had never experienced before.
Maybe it was the heart attack, but at this point it was time to sit down. We moved over to another curb to sit down, by the dumpsters, and the yucky liquid that leaves trash bags, rolls down the ground, and which you all know smell like #%^&%!
She shared another story with me. A preacher, promising her a few items like some furniture and food, never to show up at her door. Then, again, childlike and lead in the Holy Spirit, I asked “So, have you ever heard the gospel preached correctly?” (knowing clearly from the previous question, a sure “NO!”)
She, nodded from left to right, with a hopeless look into my eyes, and answered “No, I have never heard the gospel preached correctly.”
A second heart attack, mixed with a shot of anger, burst through my flesh, yet, I placed my had on her knee, and responded “Well, let me tell you about Jesus.”
The bus I had prayed to be delayed, was running behind, but sensing it was only minutes away. Then it began, the beautiful, powerful, Gospel message flow from my mouth, gentle words from my Spirit, but oddly enough no relation to my thoughts (which was definitely a good thing!).
“Salvation comes through Jesus alone…Without Jesus as the Lord of our life, we are separated from God, and going to Hell…I hate to say that to you, but its just true…However, my heart for you, and God’s heart for you turn from your sin, be saved and spend eternity in Heaven…This time on earth is not our home…” I mustered up all that less than two minutes would allow, hoping and expecting a mere miracle and conversion, right then and there!
“Scrreeeechh”, the bus turns the corner, preparing for this pick up. With their attention quickly grabbed on finding a seat, Jeremy and I grabbed hands to pray. “Amen”, and off they went.
The secondary effects of the spiritual heart attack I just experience began to set in. I asked myself, “She wasn’t saved?...Never heard the gospel preach correctly before?...Hurt by her neighbors, preachers, ‘friends’?”.
At that moment the Lord gave me just a glimpse of two extremes: His heartbreak and His love. Here I got a glimpse of the urgency of the mission of followers of Jesus.
It doesn’t have to be stated again that we live in a broken and sin-infested world, but it does have to be stated that we MUST; for Christ Name’s sake, for reconciliation of men to God, for the Glory of the Lord; intentionally spread the Gospel of Jesus from the trash dumpster curbs all the way to the pulpit and back. We as a Body have to grab hold of the power of the gospel in our lives and the depths of His love for us so much so that we are moved to act, pray, love, obey. So much so that the saving power that personally redeemed YOU into fullness with God spurs us on to “deny self”, “pick up our cross”, and truly “follow me” (as Jesus says).
There is only by one name of which one will be saved into eternal glory with God our Father, and that rest on the Name of Jesus. Not the name of your church, your small group, your Christian community, a famous book, or favorite song, but on Christ alone.
You have been saved by such a precious and powerful love, a gospel truth that saved you at just the right time. Let that propel you into desiring this precious and powerful love, a gospel truth that can save others at just the right time.