I had been praying for the Holy Spirit to fill me and help me to speak boldly about Jesus, my girlfriend had asked how it was going on February 7 and I said there hadn’t been a clear door into a conversation. Well that very night a coworker mentioned they had prayed before and I felt the Holy Spirit giving me courage to ask questions, listen intentionally and tell him about what the Lord has done in my life.

I had a speech I needed to write for a ministry event and was working on it before some not-yet-Christian friends arrived at our usual hangout spot. I still had a little left to do when they got there, so I joined a bit late. When I finished, one of them asked me what I had been working on, and I was able to share briefly how I was working on a presentation about songs God had used in my life to strengthen my faith and encourage me throughout the years. I just love opportunities like this because no one in this group has expressed personal interest in spiritual matters, but getting the chance to show that God makes a difference in my life gives me hope that one day God will water those seeds in their hearts.

Our family made backpacks for the homeless with food, gloves, scarves, and blankets. We keep them in the car readily available if we see someone in need. Tonight we drove past a QT and eight homeless people were huddled together behind the gas station. We handed everything out, asked them their names and listened to their stories. Ryan and Marsha are homeless, his boss died and he couldn’t find work and before they knew it, they were homeless. He also has stage 4 cancer. Marsha is a believer but he is not. We prayed for him and I told him that I have never experienced this kind of suffering, but I do know suffering. And I do know how years go by and I wonder if God even sees me or hears me. We told him about our Savior and how much He loves us and that He does love him and his wife. We shared about the glory in heaven for those who believe and there is zero suffering there. They were freezing outside but had access to an electrical outlet, so we went a bought a few small heaters for them and heavier gloves. Ryan told me he would think about what we told him. We promised to come back and talk some more.

On my flight home from my recent mission trip, I was seated next to a pilot who was flying standby. He was really friendly and chatted with me the whole flight. He is originally from Pakistan and is Muslim. He asked me, “what is the difference between a church Christian and a Bible Christian?” which led to a conversation where I was able to share my faith. I shared about the blood and sacrifice of Jesus, and how his sacrifice is sufficient to take away sins. None of the sacrifices of the previous prophets could do that. I’m praying that our conversation will keep coming back to him and stir up curiosity in him to discover more about Jesus.