Accepting the Challenge

"For my thoughts are higher than your thoughts and my ways higher than your ways declares the Lord. As the Heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

Two weeks ago I sat in our church service ready to hear a good friend preach the Word. He's an associate pastor on staff at our church and regularly fills in when our regular pastor is out of town. I know that in Baptist circles the day your pastor is out of town is also known as "skip day". Many Baptist believe this is actually supported in scripture. Not at our church. Pastor Steve is a wise teacher, gifted communicator and downright hysterical guy. He's also what one might call an Evangelism Freak. This guy's sole purpose in life is to challenge every believer to actually go out and witness to people. Can you believe that?

I've spent years getting to know him and his family. We've attended a few of the same parties and have many of the same friends. I've heard his relentless pleas from the pulpit to share my faith and always agree with what he says and how he says it. I just never actually got up the energy or the nerve to take the challenge. Then God started getting all up in my business and taking me deeper into His Word than I've ever been before. He started speaking to me in ways that were too "God-like" to ignore. He started demanding more of me and demanding I know more of Him. He's asked me to do some tough things in the last couple of months and I have begrudgingly obeyed, trusting He knew what He was doing. Of course, He did. I was feeling pretty good about myself and the walk Jesus and I were taking together everyday. This brings me to Pastor Steve's sermon.

He began talking about how every follower of Christ is an ambassador. We are all called to take his message to the lost. (I was trying to set my mind of other things like "what's for lunch?" or "I wonder who cuts that lady's hair?" Didn't work) It's not just a job for our pastor or the "evangelically gifted" in our churches. It's the responsibility of every born-again believer. (At this point he was starting to annoy me) Then he started listing the reasons Christian's give for not sharing their faith: "I don't know how" (Check) "It's not my gift" (You got that right) "I witness with my life" (Well...I do!) "Fear of failure and rejection" (Ouch) "I don't have time" (My TV schedule is chock full these days)

At this point I had that nagging feeling of conviction and knew that ONCE AGAIN the Holy Spirit was feeling I needed to learn a lesson. No sooner had I thought to myself "I'd probably take EE this semester, but darn the luck, it's already started!" than he said exuberantly "We'll be starting a class next Monday night for anyone who's interested in learning how to share their faith. Sign up today!!" Man, he was jumping up and down on my last nerve.

I have worked very hard to create a very comfortable bubble for me and my family. We live in the Bible Belt, have a wonderful church, Christian family, Christian friends, our daughter attends Christian school. The only time the world can remotely affect me is when I invite it in via my television or radio. Yikes. OK. So, I got the message. The only way I would ever fulfill my calling to share my faith is to actually seek out the lost. They were obviously not going to come looking for me.

So, I signed up. Then I started to pray. I knew that there was NOTHING in me that wanted to do this. I am not by nature a people person. I detest starting conversations with people I don't know, I'm incredibly shy and easily intimidated and I'd rather stick a sharp stick in my eye than face rejection by a person who's trying to watch "Dancing with the Stars" and doesn't want to talk to church people. I told all of this to God and then some. I explained that if I was going to get excited and actually do this He was going to have to do it through me. You know what happened. I started to get...gasp....excited. I got my books and started reading. I didn't even have to read before class but I WANTED TO! Can you stand that? Anyway, I headed off to class this past Monday night with high anticipation for what God was about to do.

During the evening Steve explained that a big part of the class is "On The Job" training. You actually go out with a couple of EE trainers, people who have taken the course and actually know what they're doing, and observe them. After a few visits they begin to include you in the conversation and eventually hand the entire gospel presentation over to you. This was the part I was most fearful of but I also knew it would be the only way I'd ever learn. I made up my mind then and there that I was not turning back. Then it happened.

Steve explained that OJT would be Sunday nights from 5:00 to 7:00. Uh oh. Big conflict. You see, I teach children's choir every Sunday night from...you guessed it....5:00 to 7:00. What in the world? I thought about what I knew to be true. I know God wants me in EE. I know God wants me to teach children's choir. That's when I got a little irritated. Why would He get me all excited about something so completely beyond myself only to pull the rug out from under me? I asked Him. He answered. It was not at all what I wanted Him to say.

I emailed Pastor Steve with my dilemma and he offered a solution. The church's EE clinic would be starting soon and he would be taking teams out every night that week to train them. I could attend the classes on Monday and do all of my OJT that week. The problem? The clinic is November 5th - 9th. The week of Rebekah's birthday. Are you Kidding Me?!?!? The one week of this entire year that I will absolutely, positively not feel like talking to strangers. The one week I won't feel like sharing my faith. The one week I'll prefer to curl up on the couch with some junk food and a good movie and cry myself to sleep. Seriously God? You think this is a good idea? As it turns out, He does.

Remember that Bible study I mentioned a few posts back? The very next day's study was about the challenging voice of God. Priscilla wrote about being faced with tough decision and being called to things that seemed impossible, uncomfortable and down-right painful. In those instances,when our choices consist of an easy way out and a hard way out, choose the hard way. It's always God's way.

So, there you have it. A week that had been set aside in my mind to grieve for someone who's already received her healing will be turned into a week where I am called to share the remedy with those who are still in need of healing.

This is not intended to be a Hey-Look-At-Me-I'm-Miss-Obedient-Gonna-Tell-The-World-About-Jesus girl. Not. At. All. I am humbled that He chooses to use me in any capacity. I've said all of this to say pray for me that week. I know I'll need it.