Be Witnesses

Completion of week one. It has been a crazy busy week. I won't lay it off on you because the small details aren't important.
One thing I used to not be able to do was be flexible with schedules. I used to have to control each aspect of each day and block out time and then make plans for months out. I used to plan at the time our only childs birthday out 6 months to work out the details. Not anymore. The time my husband spent in the military taught me to throw all schedules out the window.
Generally our days start early and end late. Some days I am tired, other days I wonder who else we have time to help because midnight hasn't even made its way around yet.
Today Jacob preached another awesome sermon this morning as always. Didn't expect one thing though-the power of God's word that HE used Jacob to preach was so powerful and lovingly convicting. We have been going through the book of Thessalonians and we just started in chapter 4. Through this we went through select scriptures in all four Gospels and in Acts to review the great commission. I can never type or express the emotion of today from the sermon so if I am able to later I'll upload the audio.
I'm pretty sure Jesus broke me today again to remind me of His great commission. During the sermon a question was presented to us all after he talked about being Jesus's witnesses as it was listed in the scripture in Acts listed here:
Acts 1:6-11English Standard Version (ESV)

The Ascension

⁶ So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” ⁹ And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰ And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, ¹¹ and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

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The question was if we are His witnesses then why are we not witnessing? How many people by a show of hands this week have you told someone about Jesus and that they need a savior and what it is they needed saving from. I'll tell you how many raised their hands in a bit.

In the audio that will be posted its told that Saturday we had Jehovah witnesses come to our home. They were two ladies and after spending some time with them one lady with a scrunched up face said (I'm paraphrasing from memory) "if you believe in Jesus then how come I have never seen you come to my door to tell me what you believe"
Some very strong words.
If we are His witnesses then why aren't we witnessing?

Fast forward to tonight. It went in a way that I'm still thinking about and I'm staying up later then expected to type it to you. We were at church late and had other things to do to get ready for the first day of school and the start of the work week. We got an offer for dinner but declined because we had a visit to a church member that hasn't been able to make it due to health. Then we had something that came up so we went around the corner to the McDonalds to counsel with someone because we had not had dinner yet so it worked out for all involved. We get to McDonald's & park,get out and I'm so busy even though it's dark I didn't check my surroundings. The person meeting with us said they'd be inside in a minute so we headed in to order our food. Sitting on the sidewalk is a young girl who asks for money from my husband. #1 rule of ours is to not hand out money #2 we don't have any cash ever so we offer to buy her something so Jacob asks her what she wants and she said anything. He then offers her to come in and pick what she wants. While standing in line we introduce the family and make small talk. She ordered 20 piece nuggets no sauce and a drink.

We at first didn't get the chance to sit and talk as we had to counsel with someone but before she left we got the chance to sit down and chat for awhile. Turns out she's only 25, from New York and is living in the woods nearby because she's homeless because recently her ex boyfriend committed murder and is now in jail. She's bipolar and from the scars on her arms and admittedly she used to cut herself. As I watch God work and use my husband's loving words to tell her about Jesus she begins to open up more. I wish we could have talked all night. She chatted about her family and her siblings and how her mom is Italian and how she doesn't like asking for help and she remembers a few Bible verses that her grandparents went over with her when they were still alive. Alexis is a real human being with hard stuff in her life. She's only 25. The world had her in it's never ending cycle of hopefulness and no regard for the future because she's in a hole so deep she probably hasn't ever had relief. She left McDonald's with a Bible in her hands and our #s if she needs us. 

Nothing is ever by chance. God put her there. For jake to reach her and for me to learn how to reach others. 

Now to the number of people that raised their hands out of approximately 50 adults . Including my husband...4. I was heart broken.  And by the looks of it so was my husband. I'm sad to say that I was not one of the 4. It really was a gut check. Yeah I talk about Jesus and church because that is our life but last week I didn't share the gospel.

We never made it to the church members home and I'll have to get our oldest stuff together early tomorrow morning before he wakes up and wash bottles to take to the sitter's house but prayerfully Alexis has hope. Prayerfully she'll get home. Prayerfully she'll have peace in Jesus. Please pray for her. 

Be available. Be flexible. Be witnesses.

I make it a point this week to tell somone about Jesus. Can you try also?