2/24/18 Martin 19
Martin, 19, was busy looking at some hardware at a Menards
store, and I took a chance that he might be interested in talking about his
beliefs about eternity.
At first he didn't seem to have much spiritual interest. He seemed to have given up on believing in God
and surmised that we just cease to exist after we die. As we talked he didn't show much interest
either, at least in my shallow opinion based on his mannerisms and body
language. He didn't smile much, he seemed
reserved, he really didn't look me in the eye at all. But he did one thing that let me know he was
engaged in the conversation - he kept asking questions and making observations
and connections to his experiences.
He reminds me of myself at his age. I remember pretending to sleep and showing
disinterest during our cabin discussions at a Young Life outreach camp. But the truth was I was intensely interested
in what was being talked about - it was actually the high point of my day, but
I was too reserved to show my interest.
I think about that when I reach out to strangers in the
public square. I don't want to be rude
or obnoxious to the point of obscuring or misrepresenting the Gospel, but I
also want to be bold enough to share it with those who may not be willing to
express their interest very well.
Martin was fairly quiet and often slow to respond to my
questions. I kept thinking he was losing
interest, but it turned out he was really thinking through what was being said
and coming up with many questions and comments of his own.
I'm grateful to those adults in my young life
who forged ahead and shared the Gospel with me despite my lack of outward
interest; I hope I have followed their example in conversations like this one
with Martin.
"Whatever you have
learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice." Philippians 4:9
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