Be that Voice

I met a man at the gas station today. His name was Jim. He was 84 years old.

The pumps were moving painfully slow. Tick-tock, tick-tock slow.

To pass the time, I struck up a conversation about the solar panels mounted on his 6x16 flatbed trailer that he had converted into a camper. It was painted baby blue and looked like it had seen a lot of miles and a lot of stories.

As we talked, I heard a quiet whisper in my spirit, "Pray with him." The longer we talked, the louder that whisper became. Fifteen minutes later, when the pump finally reached my prepaid amount, I asked Jim if I could pray for him. He said, "You're welcome to, but I don't believe anymore." I just smiled and asked him what happened.

Jim told me that he used to be a devoted Christian and considered himself a serious student of God's Word. As we talked, he shared a few stories from his younger years that clearly showed God's hand on his life. Somewhere along the way, though, something changed. He wouldn't say exactly what it was.

Seeing an opening, I asked if I could pray anyway. Jim reached out and took my hand.

I thanked God for the slow gas pumps that created an opportunity for a conversation. I thanked Him for Jim's willingness to talk with a stranger. Then I prayed for Jim's safety as he traveled. Finally, I asked God to reveal Himself to Jim in a way that would be undeniable, to make His Word come alive to him again. I concluded with a simple, Amen.

I shook Jim's hand and thanked him for the conversation and for allowing me to pray with him. He thanked me for praying. Then he smiled and said, "Old men love to talk."

As I pulled away, I noticed in my rear view mirror that Jim was watching me for a long moment with puzzled expression on his face. Finally, he shook his head, got into his truck, and drove away.

I don't know what will come from that conversation. Maybe nothing. What I do know is that God's Word never returns void. Our job is not to determine the outcome. Our job is simply to be obedient when He calls.

When we feel a prompting of the Holy Spirit to share our faith with others, we have to fully believe God started working on them way before they ever crossed our path. Next we must remember our perceived outcome cannot affect your level of obedience.  It is our obedience that advances the plan of God.