Where it all started

They had been sitting outside my office window for months… maybe years. I’m not sure why I never noticed them before. Twice a week, a group of misfits hanging out and smoking. My ministry had nothing to do with them. I was preparing to train some junior high students that were in a leadership development program at the Christian camp I worked for.

What was I going to train them in? How to share the Gospel. I had run across this neat tool called the 411. It answers four questions about Making Disciples: Why do we do it? Who do we reach? What do we say? When do we get started?

It was that “when" that kept bugging me. I heard this still small voice saying: “If you are going to train junior high students to love others, to engage with lost people, and to share the Gospel… what are you going to do with this group you see twice each week outside your window?”

What was I going to do? Be a hypocrite and ignore the smokers? Or make an attempt at being brave (read: obedient) and walk outside and meet people that made me downright uncomfortable?

I made the attempt. Actually, it took several attempts, most of which I was arguing with God about why this wasn’t going to work. I’m sure my coworkers wondered why I kept on going out for fresh air when I’ve never smoked a day in my life. It took a dozen mental tries, a few real ones and lots of prayer before I found myself face to face with this group, awkwardly introducing myself and getting to know them

I asked how they were doing. I asked if they had anything I could pray about for them. I left.

But then I did it again the next day. And the day after that. Introducing myself, hearing their stories, and then sharing the Gospel. It wasn’t anything that I wasn’t previously capable of, it was just that previously I hadn’t taken any steps across the parking lot.

And the best part? I found some friends. Larry, Cyrus, Jerry, Monica. They have real stories and real needs. And they were there the whole time… just waiting for someone to walk across the parking lot to meet them.

We started a weekly Discovery Bible Study that lasted 6 months. It was the first time most of them had heard the Gospel, despite coming to a building filled with Christians twice each week.

Things haven’t been the same since.