Gene The Hitchhiker
Last Friday as I was driving home from some errands, I believe the Lord was testing me on whether or not I was really going to love by word AND DEED, or simply by word. I was driving south on Arizona Ave. just a mile north of my house, when all of the sudden my eye catches the thumb of a random hitchhiker on the S.W. corner of Arizona/Germann. What was I to do? A thousand thoughts must have run through my head:
Is it safe? Will I be able to share the gospel with this guy? Will he pull out an axe and start chopping me up, and then steal my car? Will he be intoxicated? How far will he want to go? Will he ask for money?
I really didn't have much time to think and before I knew it, I was asking the guy where he wanted to go. He only needed to go about 2 miles past my house, so I said I would be happy to drive him there. I asked him his name, and then proceeded to dialogue about his day, his home, his work, his family, and then. . . WOO HOO. . . the gospel.
Having found out that Gene was was born in 1953, lived in Ohio, had 2 bros and two sisters, his mom died 2 years ago, he moved out to Az. a few years ago to live with his older brother, his birthday was the week before, and other misc details, I then proceeded to ask him some even more important questions. I asked him if there were any churches where he lived on the reservation, and he mentioned the Catholic, Christian, and one other church. So, I asked Gene what he believed. He responed by saying: "I consider myself a non-den. . den. . . den. . . just a plain Christian. You know Christian is Christian." By the slight smell of alcohal, and the formulaic response, I was not sensing that this guy was actually born-again. So, I asked him what it meant to be a Christian. He responed with a "you have to believe that Jesus is your savior." Not wanting him to just feel interrogated, I proceeded to ask him more about his life, and by some of his responses, I am pretty sure that he has heard the gospel before.
Having gotten through this whole conversation in a matter of 5 minutes, his stop quickly approached. In my heart, I prayed that God would use this opportunity to be another seed that causes Gene to turn to Jesus Christ and not only recognize that Jesus needs to be Savior, but Christ needs to be Lord!! I stopped the car and right before he opened the door to get out he said, "I think God is trying to get my attention." "Why is that?" I asked. Gene said, "well, you stopping, and then something else that happened to me in the last week as well." I let him know that I completely agreed with him. I told him that God sovereignly had me drive on Arizona that Friday afternoon so that I would pick him up.
In reflection on this event, I was just so exceedingly thankful that God allowed me to have such an opportunity to show the love of Christ, and remind Gene that Christ indeed needs to be his savior. However, I have also been asked the question by one who loves me very much as to whether this was wreckless or dangerous evangelism. I don't think that I really feared that by me picking up this hitchhiker I would die, I'm really not anxious for that. But, I simply saw this as an opportunity to truly live. Indeed, by sharing with Gene, I felt so alive. Besides, I believe in the sovereignty of God, and until my time comes, not one hair will fall from my head without His approval.
Mark 8:34-38
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? 37 For what can a man give in return for his life? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Is it safe? Will I be able to share the gospel with this guy? Will he pull out an axe and start chopping me up, and then steal my car? Will he be intoxicated? How far will he want to go? Will he ask for money?
I really didn't have much time to think and before I knew it, I was asking the guy where he wanted to go. He only needed to go about 2 miles past my house, so I said I would be happy to drive him there. I asked him his name, and then proceeded to dialogue about his day, his home, his work, his family, and then. . . WOO HOO. . . the gospel.
Having found out that Gene was was born in 1953, lived in Ohio, had 2 bros and two sisters, his mom died 2 years ago, he moved out to Az. a few years ago to live with his older brother, his birthday was the week before, and other misc details, I then proceeded to ask him some even more important questions. I asked him if there were any churches where he lived on the reservation, and he mentioned the Catholic, Christian, and one other church. So, I asked Gene what he believed. He responed by saying: "I consider myself a non-den. . den. . . den. . . just a plain Christian. You know Christian is Christian." By the slight smell of alcohal, and the formulaic response, I was not sensing that this guy was actually born-again. So, I asked him what it meant to be a Christian. He responed with a "you have to believe that Jesus is your savior." Not wanting him to just feel interrogated, I proceeded to ask him more about his life, and by some of his responses, I am pretty sure that he has heard the gospel before.
Having gotten through this whole conversation in a matter of 5 minutes, his stop quickly approached. In my heart, I prayed that God would use this opportunity to be another seed that causes Gene to turn to Jesus Christ and not only recognize that Jesus needs to be Savior, but Christ needs to be Lord!! I stopped the car and right before he opened the door to get out he said, "I think God is trying to get my attention." "Why is that?" I asked. Gene said, "well, you stopping, and then something else that happened to me in the last week as well." I let him know that I completely agreed with him. I told him that God sovereignly had me drive on Arizona that Friday afternoon so that I would pick him up.
In reflection on this event, I was just so exceedingly thankful that God allowed me to have such an opportunity to show the love of Christ, and remind Gene that Christ indeed needs to be his savior. However, I have also been asked the question by one who loves me very much as to whether this was wreckless or dangerous evangelism. I don't think that I really feared that by me picking up this hitchhiker I would die, I'm really not anxious for that. But, I simply saw this as an opportunity to truly live. Indeed, by sharing with Gene, I felt so alive. Besides, I believe in the sovereignty of God, and until my time comes, not one hair will fall from my head without His approval.
Mark 8:34-38
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? 37 For what can a man give in return for his life? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
posted by Brent Klontz at 9:36 PM
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