Monday, September 22, 2008

While sometimes I go "fishing" for souls with whom you can share the Gospel with, there are other times when God simply sends someone literally right to me.  Meet Michael.  Homeless, confused chronically with a schizophrenic disorder, he was strolling the riverwalk looking for a quick buck from a compassionate, or guilty, passerby.  When he asked me for a couple bucks to get some food, I invited him to dinner with Laura and my grandparents instead.  To my surprise and somewhat delight, he agreed.  Talking to Michael was at first like reasoning with someone who agrees with everything you say.  He would respond to everything with a blank, "uh huh."  You never know if you are reaching people like this so I just kept talking with him emphasizing emotions as it seemed like he didn't have any.  We were excited to see Michael respond with more emotion and smiles as the dinner went on.  I gave him a Bible as a gift and some clearly written Gospel tracts.  Before he left, I asked him what I ask everyone I witness to.   "What do you need to do to get to Heaven?"  He responded with an affirmative, "I need to repent."  This was all I could ask of him and I continue to pray that Michael will truly have clarity of mind to repent and put his full trust in Jesus and His death on the cross.  It was awesome to have grandma and grandpa there as they both shared in the witness encounter, adding to the genuineness of what we were sharing.  Michael also was grateful for the dinner and said how many people, even Christians, would never have invited him for dinner.  He was truly touched and we were thankful that God brought him to us for the evening.  You never know when the least of his brethren will be needing something, most importantly, the Gospel of Jesus.