Metamorphosis

Monday I was eating at Subway and as I was conversing with whom I was with I noticed this older couple come in, order their food and sit down next to us in the booth just west of us. Now I noticed them as they entered because he was walking very slowly as if to keep his balance because of his age. As we were finishing our lunch I noticed he and his wife stood and she went out to their car but he headed straight for our table. He looked at me and asked, "Haven't we met before?" And I politely replied, "I'm not sure, but you look very familiar." Well to make a very very long story short he was 82 years old and he was a Gideon and had his heart set on getting me saved.

But then he asked what I did for a living and I had to tell him I was a pastor. But that's when he said something that has stuck with me. He said, "You know being a Gideon I hand out bibles all the time and when I first started I thought this was going to be easy, but you know what?...It's not...it's not been easy." I agreed wholeheartedly with him and then he decided to tell me where he lived and I could drop by his house anytime I wanted, as long as he was home.

I've been thinking about what he said, how it's not easy handing out the Word. It's not easy to tell others about the Gospel even though it is called the Good News. But what hit me later was that even though he admitted it wasn't easy he didn't let that stop him from going up to a total stranger at a Subway to tell them about God and His only Son. Oh yea, did I mention he was 82?

Listen to my heart on this, when he came in the restaurant that day I saw just a feeble old gentleman I felt sorry for, but he left as this strong man with a boldness that only the Spirit of God can give and I no longer felt sorry for him, I totally admired him. Oh God give us the strength to not only live for you but to tell others about you and help us to deliver your Word no matter how hard it seems or how old we become.