Me, I am my kids' teacher

Sitting alone at McDonald's this afternoon, which was the rendezvous point for a Mom/Kid trade (and the only reason I would be alone or even at McDonalds!), I was enjoying my dollar iced tea and had whipped out my beloved handy purse Bible to read while passing the minutes.

Next thing I know I'm chatting with a man about the weather. He was passing the time inside the air-conditioned restaurant to avoid walking home. He had a "couple" of DUIs he said, and couldn't drive.

I commented that I saw the temp was 107 on the bank that I had just driven by. He mentioned how horrible this Oklahoma heat was and how different it is from the Arizona heat.

We (Okies), all have this conversation ... so enough about that.

He asked what I was reading. When I told him, he said, "WOW. I never really understood the Bible," and told a story about how he would get picked up for church and went because someone had promised donuts.

They sat through the boring stuff to get the donuts. "They were stale, but we didn't care ... we were just kids."

I told him the Bible is anything but boring, and that he should try reading it again. I also confessed that sometimes the Bible doesn't even make sense to me, but other times, I know the Lord speaks right to me through his Word. So I keep reading it.

And, I told him, without Jesus, I would have no reason to hope or make it in this HEAT or this world!

Are you married? he asked! (oh dear).

Yes!

You got a husband, that should give you hope.

Yes. I love my husband and he loves me, but not as much as God loves me. We are here on this earth to be able to spend forever with God. So you should try to get to know him. He's waiting for you.

I told him about a nearby church that I thought he could walk to. I told him that I knew for a fact that they didn't have stale donuts and had really good coffee and would be a great place for him to learn about Jesus. (By this time Keli and all of the kids arrived).

The conversation turned back to the heat, and I took a deep breath and actually (actually) said ...

"Hey. If you think it's hot out there, just think how hot hell is going to be. Isn't that a great reason to get to know the Lord?" (something like that).

We laughed. By this time I could smell that this guy had not been drinking anything from the soda bar at McDs, but maybe something from another nearby bar ... and prayed silently for him. He did have a job and a home. But no Jesus.

I've never done the hellfire and brimstone evangelism before, let alone to a drunk stranger at McDonalds!

Why am I sharing this? Dunno. Just sometimes I feel like I don't come across unbelievers in my "isolated" world of kids and homeschool and church. What a pathetic excuse! Maybe this was God showing me that we have to take the opportunities where He presents them.

Posted in: on Sunday, July 12, 2009 at at 10:09 PM