I saw him again. His long blonde hair gently swept away from his face when the wind hit him. He clutched his Bob Marley longboard in one hand and a blue Powerade in the other. He looked across our highschool's quad and peered in the direction of the library. He kicked down the longboard, jumped on, and began racing fast down the paved walkways of our school.
I have always known skaters, but this one was different. He had an intensity that was overwhelming. His blue eyes and blonde hair made him have an angelic appearance with a rough demeanor. As he arrived at the front gate, he picked up his longboard and began to talk with his friends. I noticed him. I do not know why, but he continually catches my eye's attention.
Why do we notice certain people in our day to day life? Why do specific people that may be your ordinary aquaintances suddenly call for your respect or thoughts? As we will all see in our Christian walk, God places certain people in our lives for a reason that may be unknown to us. Something about this boy is calling for me to notice him. Possibly the Lord wants us to seek out these people to lead them to Christ. Maybe, He just wants us to be their friend.
My trip to Mexicali when I was a freshman sparked something interesting in me. I had always been nervous that going to Mexico was somewhat cliche as many churches go to the country to build homes and teach in a Vacation Bible School setting. But after spending one day with Christ's children, I knew it was the opposite of cliche. The unique nature of these children impacted my life for Christ. Their infectious faith was passionate and strong. One girl imparticular caught my attention this time. Her name was Gloria, perfectly fitting her. She never smiled...just watched. Her intriguing nature led me to believe that Christ was truly speaking to me through her. When I was having a rough week, stumbling over my attempt at Spanish, she would just smile and say "Esta bien," "It is okay."
So what should we do when we meet people like this? They may be children, may be the elderly, may be people we are around every day and suddenly realize why they are in our lives. We need to do more than just notice them. We must pursue them with the Lord's love, and show them how much they are loved. We must speak words of truth and integrity as well. Christ does not solely notice people after his own heart. He guides, leads and follows them. We must be His messengers here on Earth.
Usually "standing in the way" of someone has a bad connotation. But, as Christians we must be willign and capable of being the mediator between the person after Christ's heart and the Lord. Once they find our Savior, it is their turn, and God takes care of him. We must not be a hindrance to them finding the Almighty God, but we must be ready to lead them with never-failing energy.
Evangelism is a touchy subject, and doing a final project on this topic has opened my eyes dramatically. If we are going to lead people to Christ we must be a person that is contagious for Christ's being. But, more than that, we must use words. We must actually speak words of truth and lead people to God's divine words. Although our WWJD bracelets are catchy, and although a Cross is beautiful to wear, words are what will bring people to God. Our actions and our talk must be congruent in all aspects. We must walk our talk and be sure not to "overtalk our walk". With a pure and faithful heart for the Lord, we become contagious. Through Him, we become the messenger.
I must actually speak when I see that boy again. Christ desires us to use our gifts to please him, and we must. He has given us the ability to speak and we need to utilize it. We cannot be quiet and we cannot possibly be silenced.
Let us begin to do more than just notice people close to us. Let us pursue them and deliver a glimmer of God's glory to their day, or life.
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