Its Just Who I Am!

I just stepped inside from our patio where I stood enjoying the warm rainfall that was freshening the ground.  As I stood out there I had to shake my head and with a little smirk make the comment: “Strange Weather!”  We had snow and sleet last week.  Yesterday we had partly sunny skies and it got up into the low seventies.  I realized as we went for our late afternoon walk that I was actually sweating in my jeans and T-Shirt and began to wonder why I hadn’t worn my shorts!  I guess I had been lolled into the pattern of cold weather and didn’t even consider the weather report for the day!

Today the forecast is for heavy rains this morning which might turn into sleet showers by late afternoon as the temperatures continue to drop from the mid-fifties to the low thirties!  Being new to the area, I am not sure if this is normal for this time of year for this region of the country.  As a lifelong resident of northern California, I was pretty aware of the seasonal weather patterns and knew (sort of!) what to expect and how to prepare for them from month to month.

The uncertainty of not knowing what to expect from the sky each day leads to a certain amount of uncertainty in the making our daily plans.  Transporting my wife around in her chair comes into the forefront of every activity or appointment I plan.  Like I’ve stated in other posts, snow and the wheelchair don’t mix real well.  Either does rain as I can keep her somewhat dry but can’t say the same for the chair.  I don’t really want her to have to sit on a wet seat that gets soaked by the time I am able to fold it up and store it in the trunk!

Our older son and his family are coming out at the end of the month and while we are planning many adventures around the area as well as a trip out to Wilmington on the coast, I am a bit wary as to what the weather will be doing!  I am sure that by next year at this time, I will have some history behind me and will be more comfortable with knowing what to expect!

That uncomfortable feeling of not knowing what to expect came to me earlier this morning as I read the last verse in 2 Corinthians chapter two.  Paul is continuing his discussion on the “scent” of Christ and declares about their ministry, “For we are not as many, hawking the word of God, but as of sincerity, but as of God we speak in Christ in the sight of God.” (MKJV)  There are numerous lessons that you can take away from this verse, but as I read it I instantly thought of the people I have known over the years, who in my opinion, have tended to “hawk” the gospel to those they come into contact with everywhere they go.

I can remember my wife sharing from her heart to me one time years ago, that she always felt like the church she grew up in tended to emphasis the need of evangelism to the point of putting a guilt trip on the congregation.  That was actually one of the reasons we left the church after serving on their staff for five years.  The message they taught each week always seemed to center on evangelism while ignoring all the other teachings concerning the life of the believer.

Over the years I have witnessed good meaning believers share the gospel with everyone they come into contact with without any real passion or personal flavor of what they are talking about.  On many occasions their attempts at evangelism seemed ill timed, obtrusive or insensitive to the individual’s needs of the moment.  It made me feel uncomfortable to be with them as I was always uncertain as to when they were going to bring up the subject!  It felt to me, like they were simply sharing because they had to!  The idea of “hawking” the gospel like a sales person would knock on your door to sell you a vacuum comes to mind when I recall these times!

I believe that true evangelism is not the selling of a product, but the sharing of a life that has been revolutionized by the presence and love of the Savior!  I recently read an article about people who were raised in Christian families, accepted Christ at a young age and have what they consider a “boring testimony!”  I don’t see how anybody’s testimony of a personal and continuing experience with Christ could be anything but boring! 

My wife could be considered one of those people!  She received the Lord at eight years of age and has attended church all her life.  But let me tell you, her continually growing testimony is far from boring! (After all… she married me didn’t she?  That has to be exciting… and miraculous… for me at least!)  She could sit you down for hours and tell of all the times that the Lord has led her through all kinds of adventures, needful times, miraculous events and of the many times she quietly experienced His intimate love when she needed Him the most!

That to me is how we are called to evangelize the world!  Through the living of our daily lives, led of the Spirit and sharing the sinners prayer at the right time in the right place (which could be just about anywhere when the Spirit says they’re ready to receive!)  Like I have mentioned before, that’s what drew me to the Lord.  I wanted the joy, the peace, the love and the confidence that my girlfriend lived!  The Gospel wasn’t just something she talked about… it was something she enjoyed living!

That’s the Jesus that I want to share with my world!  How about you?  Have a spectacular day (even if it is pouring with the temperature dropping like a lead weight outside!)  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What or Who’s life am I expecting to live today?”