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| Remnant team, summer 2009, taken the day the events of this story took place |
"... don't worry," the operator on the other end of the line assured me. "We'll have a tow truck out there in twenty minutes.
"Thank you," I sighed. This was frustrating. I was responsible for a group of young teenage evangelists. We had just finished a Summer Bible Club at a church in town. All had gone well, with several children coming to faith in Christ.
Yes, it was perfect, until we went to leave and my car wouldn't start. Not only that, but my flip phone was as dead as the car. The church allowed me to use their phone to make the call to Auto Club. This was not shaping up to be a very good day.
It was the summer of 2009, my final year leading the Remnant, a youth evangelism team I started in Riverside County. Like every year back then, I had a wonderful team of eager students, ready to share Christ in Bible clubs and open air evangelism.
Now, with the car dead, this greatly altered the course if our day. Ugh! The students would have to accompany me to the auto shop, instead of share the gospel...
"The tow truck is here!" yelled Stacy.
"Looks like a lady driver," Whitney observed.
Indeed it was. A wirey, blonde woman hopped out if the tow truck and approved me.
"Hi, I'm Melissa. Where do you need to be towed to?"
As Melissa and I made arrangements and she got my car on the lift, my students seemed to be enjoying themselves. I was glad. At least this wasn't a downer for them. But it was really too bad their evangelism for the afternoon was now cancelled...or was it?
As we buckled into the truck, Stacy asked Melissa point blank, "Are you a Christian? We are. That's what we do, spend our time telling people about Jesus.". She, Whitney and Alex launched into the gospel in such a way that it really sounded like the Good News it is. Melissa listened happily. She told them they were the happiest people she'd ever met.
My attitude about the difficulty was already changing.
We arrived at the shop. After a preliminary look, I was told I needed a new battery, new terminals and a new solenoid. It added up. Ugh again! Well, these kids needed lunch. No point in starving them on top of my other problems!
"Let's go walk to the Taco Bell/Pizza Hut in the Walmart up the street," I suggested. I didn't have to ask them twice!
Their happy, joyous chatter lifted my spirit as we walked, even though my mind was stressed. I felt God using them to encourage my heart, urging me not to dwell on worry.
We went to the nearby Vons grocery store to get cash for the meal. The cashier looked at my students and asked, "Why are you guys so happy? What's your secret?"
Stacy's eyes lit up. "It's because we're Christians." Again, the students shared the gospel, and again, I was challenged to look at this another way.
We had a delightful lunch with God-honoring, uplifting conversation. My students' joy had won me over.
After we got back and picked up my car, I drove everyone home. I had a song in my heart the rest of the day. In spite of the change in our plans, my team had done precisely what they had been trained to do. That's what I loved so much about the Remnant team. God just brought us so many divine appointments and taught us so many lessons. It is my prayer that every student I ever trained still has that joy, and that they're still making a difference for eternity.
"Thank you," I sighed. This was frustrating. I was responsible for a group of young teenage evangelists. We had just finished a Summer Bible Club at a church in town. All had gone well, with several children coming to faith in Christ.
Yes, it was perfect, until we went to leave and my car wouldn't start. Not only that, but my flip phone was as dead as the car. The church allowed me to use their phone to make the call to Auto Club. This was not shaping up to be a very good day.
It was the summer of 2009, my final year leading the Remnant, a youth evangelism team I started in Riverside County. Like every year back then, I had a wonderful team of eager students, ready to share Christ in Bible clubs and open air evangelism.
Now, with the car dead, this greatly altered the course if our day. Ugh! The students would have to accompany me to the auto shop, instead of share the gospel...
"The tow truck is here!" yelled Stacy.
"Looks like a lady driver," Whitney observed.
Indeed it was. A wirey, blonde woman hopped out if the tow truck and approved me.
"Hi, I'm Melissa. Where do you need to be towed to?"
As Melissa and I made arrangements and she got my car on the lift, my students seemed to be enjoying themselves. I was glad. At least this wasn't a downer for them. But it was really too bad their evangelism for the afternoon was now cancelled...or was it?
As we buckled into the truck, Stacy asked Melissa point blank, "Are you a Christian? We are. That's what we do, spend our time telling people about Jesus.". She, Whitney and Alex launched into the gospel in such a way that it really sounded like the Good News it is. Melissa listened happily. She told them they were the happiest people she'd ever met.
My attitude about the difficulty was already changing.
We arrived at the shop. After a preliminary look, I was told I needed a new battery, new terminals and a new solenoid. It added up. Ugh again! Well, these kids needed lunch. No point in starving them on top of my other problems!
"Let's go walk to the Taco Bell/Pizza Hut in the Walmart up the street," I suggested. I didn't have to ask them twice!
Their happy, joyous chatter lifted my spirit as we walked, even though my mind was stressed. I felt God using them to encourage my heart, urging me not to dwell on worry.
We went to the nearby Vons grocery store to get cash for the meal. The cashier looked at my students and asked, "Why are you guys so happy? What's your secret?"
Stacy's eyes lit up. "It's because we're Christians." Again, the students shared the gospel, and again, I was challenged to look at this another way.
We had a delightful lunch with God-honoring, uplifting conversation. My students' joy had won me over.
After we got back and picked up my car, I drove everyone home. I had a song in my heart the rest of the day. In spite of the change in our plans, my team had done precisely what they had been trained to do. That's what I loved so much about the Remnant team. God just brought us so many divine appointments and taught us so many lessons. It is my prayer that every student I ever trained still has that joy, and that they're still making a difference for eternity.
