share with everyone and anyone

We were starving.  After all, we had just run to the other side of the terminal and back to share the Gospel with a prostitute (click here if you didn't read that story) and we had forty minutes before our plane boarded and we were hungry.


I settled for a smoothie and was slurping contentedly when Liv and Anna returned from Taco Bell with their salads.  They chattered back and forth as they sat down until Liv opened the bag and exclaimed with dismay, "I don't have a fork or napkins."  Groaning, she got back up to her feet and pleaded, "Does anyone want to come with me?"  Olivia is very much a wild one but she is not comfortable going up to a waiter and asking for napkins or calling a swim lesson client on the phone; someone---usually me---needs to go up with her as she asks for napkins or, as what often happens, I ask for napkins instead.


This time Anna volunteered to go back with Liv.


I had only sucked down another inch of my smoothie when I saw them returning, half-running, and laughing breathlessly.  They threw themselves down on the uncomfortable airplane chairs and Anna announced in a half-embarrassed half-pleased way, "We just shared Jesus with a believer!"  She collapsed in giggles.


"What?!"  We grinned and leaned in closer.  We wanted to hear this.  "What happened?"


"There was this guy who had ordered ahead of us," Liv explained as she methodically began to unwrap her fork from it's plastic.  "Like in the Navy Reserve or something.  But we kind of asked him where he was from---"


"Bakersfield," Anna supplied.


"Yeah, but we were friendly but then we left.  But then we came back and he was like 'back already?' and we were all 'yeah, we forgot a fork'.  And then..."  She and Anna exchanged glances and laughed sheepishly.  "And then Anna went up to him and said, 'Hey,' and then she looked at me"---Liv mimed making a grimace and mumbling a little---"and then blurted out 'doyouknowJesus??'"


We looked at Anna and she was laughing and nodding confirmation that yes, indeed, she had done exactly that.


"That's so awesome!" I said.  "Then what?"


"He said yeah, he's a Christian," Liv continued.  "He's trying to find a church in Bakersfield."


Anna broke in, "And I said, 'oh good, I don't need to tell you anything.'"  Both Liv and Anna were flushed and grinning, pleased that they had been bold but embarrassed that they had tried to share the Gospel with a believer.


But we all thought that was the best thing ever.  They had overcome their shyness and embarrassment and were bold for the Kingdom and God blessed that: they didn't find a surly atheist or polytheistic businessman, they found a kind Christian who was pleased that they were sharing Jesus in an airport.  I think that is so awesome and I am pleased to run with such wild ones.

being wild in san diego

This past week my family and I were gone as a sort of birthday bash to me.  On Friday my mom and Charlotte and I drove down to San Diego to meet my dad and Olivia and were there for several days, then dad and Liv and I drove to Anaheim where us two girls were at Disneyland for three and a half DAYS.  As a Disney junkie, this was absolutely wonderful.  We rode rides, met characters, and generally had a fantastic time.


But that was not what I wanted to tell you all about.


When we were in San Diego we had the opportunity to visit a friend's church.  (If you'd like to check it out, go to http://allpeopleschurch.org/)  It was a great message about being the friend of Jesus and I totally enjoyed it---especially as it went along with the theme of being a wild one.


After church, we were waiting to go to lunch with our friends when I saw this girl sitting in the back of the church by herself, crying a little.  Seeing people cry in church is not a strange thing for me so that was not unusual.  Nothing made her stand out to me but suddenly I knew the Lord wanted me to go speak with her.


About what? I wondered as I made my way over.  I had no idea.


I sat down.  I still had no idea what to talk to her about.  She looked at me---I still had no idea.


"Hi," I began awkwardly.  "I'm Hannah and I felt like I was supposed to come and talk to you."  I paused and waited for a revelation to come.  Nothing.  So I just talked with her: I found out her name, that she was in her second year at Point Loma University, that she was rooming with---


Suddenly, I knew exactly what I was supposed to tell her.


I began sharing with this college student about a word I had received a few months ago---it was about being beautiful to Jesus and valued in the kingdom---and I knew I was supposed to tell her all of this.  I told her how wonderful she was to Him and how deep His love for her was.  At first she just nodded her head and smiled but didn't say "Oh wow!  That's totally what I needed to hear!"  But I ploughed onwards.  The Lord told me to give her this word and by golly she was going to get it.  Halfway through, she came undone and started crying.


Then Liv came over and sat patiently waiting till I was done sharing.  When I was done, she looked at the college student and said, "Hi, I'm her sister, and when I looked at you the Lord gave me this picture for you."  The young woman was sobbing now as Olivia shared that she had seen her as a white lily blooming in crystal clear water with deep roots.  It was a beautiful picture and totally touched this girl.


For several minutes afterwards it was her holding our hands and weeping, weeping, weeping.  I couldn't believe it---me, who never gets words for people, had just shared something that God is impressing upon my heart and look what it did!  It turned this stranger into a puddle in the back row of church.


Later she told us how everything we had told her was spot on because she's in a season where the Lord is teaching her the goodness and joy of His love.  She came to church run down, tired, and desperately needing encouragement and she told us so many walls in her heart were torn down because of what we had spoken.  Smiling, she said, "I feel so loved and blessed right now, so thank you for being faithful to what the Lord was doing in your heart and being obedient to what He was doing."


So I am totally encouraged because I originally went over to this stranger not knowing what to say at all except that God wanted me to speak to her.  Thank you, Jesus, for letting us be vessels for Your goodness.