Last Saturday night in downtown Fort Worth, one particular young man wouldn't budge while listening to the preaching of gospel.
After a few minutes he slowly turned his back and began to walk away. He looked troubled. I walked towards him with a friend and from a bit of a distance I called out to him saying, "Sir!"
He turned his head back to look.
I continued…"Sir, we are Christians and we are with the group of people that are preaching. I know this may sound weird but…how can we pray for you?" "Do you need prayer for anything?" I inquired.
(Keep in mind that it is very rare for me to ask this. I typically don't...in fact I can't even recall a handful of times that I approached someone with the question "Can I pray for you?")
"Yes." He quickly responded as he turn around and started to walk towards us.
Very soberly he looked at me and said, "My good friend shot himself last Thursday."
Big sigh.
"I am so very sorry to hear this…I'm so sorry." I said while shaking my head.
"Yeah, we are really sorry." My friend Amy added.
"What is your name?" I asked.
"Shay". He said.
"And what was your friends name?" I questioned.
"Kyle." He replied.
"Hmmmm, that's interesting."
Then I pointed my arm and extended my finger to the open air preacher on the box and said, "That's interesting…because the young man on the box right over there is named 'Kyle'."
Shay looked stunned like a deer in headlights.
He immediately teared up and I proceeded to tell him the Gospel.
"I know that there probably aren't many words that can comfort you, Shay, during this difficult loss but just remember that Jesus Christ has the words of life…eternal life."
I continued. "Shay, if Kyle were to come back today and talk with you I know what he would say. He would tell you to repent of your sins and to put all of your trust in Jesus Christ who died on the cross and rose from the dead."
He intensely listened and hung on every word.
As I was talking to him the evangelism team was packing up and within seconds the men on the team began to gather around him. I introduced him to Josh, then to Greg and also to Cole.
I explained to Josh about his loss and after a few words, Josh put his hand on his shoulder and we all prayed for him.
You could see the gratitude in his eyes.
I looked up and Kyle was standing behind him.
I pointed behind him and said, "Shay, I want you to meet Kyle."
Shay's face lit up with a new ray of hope. As if he had known Kyle for years. He had a look on his face that was priceless. On my way home the thought of him moved me to tears.
"Good to meet you, man." Shay said.
"Hey, good to meet you, bro." Kyle responded.
We invited him to church and he gave hugs to a couple people on the team.
May God save that young man.
You just never know who you will come in contact with and what has happened in their lives. It was only 48 hours prior to our meeting that Shay received the horrific news that his friend killed himself. And the Lord was faithful to send him hope through the preaching of the Gospel.
I pray that this small encounter will encourage you to ask someone this week, or perhaps today or tonight, if you "can pray for them". Then share the Gospel with them and leave them with a tract.
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22 comments:
Wow, praise the Lord, Trish! Reading this brought me to tears and I'm so thankful that Kyle ran into ya'll. Indeed may Christ use this special encounter to call Kyle through the Narrow Gate. May I repost to our website at http://thespeaktruthproject.com ?
Yes you may, brother. Blessings to you!
Awesome, Trish. God is good, thanks for sharing.
Beautiful! Every encounter with another person is an opportunity to share God's love!
So you took a man in an fragile emotional state, and pushed your agenda on him anyways, knowing that he was not in the right state of mind to be listening to a sales pitch.
I expected better from you, Trish, but I guess vultures of a feather...
Come on. YOu have NO idea what he would say if he came back to life.
I find what you did rather ghoulish.
Come on. YOu have NO idea what he would say if he came back to life.
I find what you did rather ghoulish.
I read your blog regularly and I get a lot of inspiration from you. I must say that it is true that when we are communing with God through Christ that we suddenly have the courage to do things we wouldn't normally do and we are prompted by God to reach out and do God's work. Life without God isn't life at all and your anecdote shows that God moves with us, through us and for us. God bless you. No doubt that the Lord is with you and in all truth what else matters, but that we live our lives in God's presence, through Jesus Christ.
You know what's the difference between you and a turkey-headed vulture (Cathartes aura)?
When a vulture picks at a carcass, it's only because it's hungry.
You disgust me Trish, What you did is the psychological equivalent of finding that person's grave, digging the remains up and defecating all over it.
As for you sycophants who think what Trish did is a "good thing", you are equally as disgusting.
W01F
HYGMN said……
Come on. YOu have NO idea what he would say if he came back to life.
I’m not so sure about that based on this teaching of Jesus found in Luke 16;
The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house—for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
Luke 16:22-31 ESV
Were Shay and Kyle Christians, Trish I’m sure would have comforted Shay with;
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ESV
I understand your exasperation. We also once hated the light and loved the darkness. However, what we once hated we now love and must tell what we have experienced.
I also understand our message seems foolish. However, we can preach nothing else but Christ and him crucified in our place.
Our creator God who is infinitely Holy will one day judge all men as sinful, finding none worthy of eternal life save those whose name is found in the Lambs book of Life.
We urge you, while you have breath, repent and believe in the gospel for unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
Absolutely sickening. You disgust me, Trish.
Trisha, if it makes you feel any better, you don't disgust me.
It is interesting, Trish, that when Shay was feeling about as low as he could be, it was a public gathering of Christians speaking about Jesus Christ that attracted his attention. He heard the wonderful Gospel, the best news that a man or woman can receive.
I am glad that he got to meet and talk with you and other members of the team. Who knows? Maybe Shay will post a comment on this blog some day, and tell about his experience that night, and afterward.
Praying for Shay,
Craig
I've thought the same thing, Craig. I've been hoping he'd come to church too. You just never know. It was neat. The Gospel totally had his attention. Thank you for your prayers for him. God hears.
Love it. Way to go Trish!
Thank you for sharing this moment with us Trish. We will keep Shay in prayer. And may we be in prayer for those who fail to understand the hope we have in Jesus Christ.
Wow,Trish. That's truly wonderful! It is so amazing how God, in His Sovereignty, prepares such divine appointments for those who are faithful to share the Gospel with a hurting soul at the very time that they need it most and are open to hearing the Words of Truth.
very cool! ~ It's neat when we are close to the Lord and can hear His leading :) ~ God bless your family ~ a fellow laborer, servant/life-slave of Jesus, SH :)
Hello Reynold
It is good to see your name pop up here from time to time. I hope all is well with you and that you are in good health.
All the best to you.
Craig
Nice story...Thanks for sharing... Blessings Darrell
Thanks Craig, but how's about addressing my point? Provided that Trish actually lets my post show of course. If not, I'll just post on your blog maybe.
Reynold,
According to Trish's account, it was a group of Christians proclaiming the good news of forgiveness of sins and eternal life through Jesus Christ which drew Shay's interest. Had it been an open-air lecture on evidential apologetics, what you suggested may have been the appropriate thing to do.
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