From New Life Community Church:

I have not been very good at this evangelism stuff. I never have. I am shy. I like people. I just don’t know what to say to them. So asking me to talk to people, especially strangers, is hard.

So this is what I am doing. In the seminar, Randy said we should pray behind people’s backs. That’s what I am doing. I am praying for the people who cut me off in traffic. I am praying for their safety. I am praying for gardeners I see in my neighborhood. I pray that they can make it financially in this place that is so expensive to live. I am praying for people I see waiting for the bus. I imagine they are trying to get to work, or back to their homes. I pray for their forbearance, and endurance, especially in all this heat this summer. I pray for the checker at the grocery store. I pray for the old man down the street who is constantly sweeping his sidewalk. I pray that they all find some hope, and purpose in this life of ours.

I don’t know if this really counts as evangelism. But what this has made me do, is become more focused on other people. I am not so selfish and self-centered. I think that is good.

This week, I was listening to a podcast interview with Sidney Poitier about his new book, “Life Beyond Measure: Letters to my Great-Granddaughter.” It was an interesting interview and although I haven’t read the book, I was struck by some of what he described about his process of learning while he was growing up. He learned by observing and by watching his parents and the way they were with one another and the way they treated one another. He also learned by watching those who lived in the small town in the Bahamas that he grew up in as well.

In contrast, I grew up in a world filled with words. We had lots and lots of words in the family that I grew up in, but I really think that it has been the observations that I made in my life that directed my way the most. It was my ability to sift through the words and see the action behind them that cleared the forest for me. I think sometimes we rely too much on words in our lives.

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My landlord professes to be an atheist and I sent her a funny, cute email like I often do to cheer people up. She has recently lost her two sons, one to HIV and one to suicide. Very sad!

The email mentioned God in it. I didn’t mean to disrespect her atheistic beliefs with my email.The email didn’t name “Jesus”, just “God” in general. She got VERY upset me. She asked me to not email her anything with God’s name or any mention of faith. I just wanted her to know that I cared.

The next few days were silent between her and me. I prayed behind her back like we learned to do in the Doable Evangelism Seminar. I prayed for her health, for her well-being, for her happiness and for good things for her.

Guess what!??!! She called me! We then had the nicest, loving, God-inspired dialog. A good ending to a well intentioned email gone bad!

-Sheri