Jesus said to Peter and his brother, "follow me and I will teach you how to fish for men (Matt. 4:19)." With each witnessing encounter, I try to ask the Lord to show me a new lesson that can help me be more effective for Him. One lesson I'm trying to learn is being more sensitive to the leading of God's Spirit in being alert to opportunities to swing a conversation to things eternal.
We took the family to Steak & Shake for lunch today (had coupons, which we need for our large crew)! Our waitress had several buttons on her apron. One said, "Ask me about happy hour." The thought occurred to me, what's the happiest hour of our lives. Then the immediate answer in my thoughts came--the moment we're translated into the glorious presence of the Lord Himself to experience heaven and the Kingdom of God for the very first time. The Apostle Paul experienced heaven. He was caught up into the "third heaven." (2 Cor. 12:2). No doubt his unique taste of Divine wonders drove him to share the gospel everywhere he went. He longed for everyone to be there with him. Do you long for everyone to be there too?
I asked her, "when's happy hour?" She gave me the times. I then asked , "what's the happiest hour of all?" She smiled and looked at me as if she were trying to figure out where I was going. "Think about it," I challenged her. "Ok," she said.
She returned later to check on us. "Did you think about it," I asked? She smiled. "What's the happiest hour of our lives," I asked. "I don't know," she replied. "Think about it," I said again.
As we were leaving, I walked over to her and her friend and asked her if she wanted to know the happiest hour of all. "Yes," they said. "When you experience the privilege of being ushered into the presence of God in Heaven," I answered. "Do you know whether or not you will end up in heaven," I asked. She wasn't sure. I asked her if she wanted to know how. "Yes," she knodded. I asked if she had a bible. She said, "yes." I told her to get her pen out of her apron and write down these verses--Mark 1:15, John 3, and 1 John 5:11-13. She wrote them. I encouraged her and her friend to read those verses and act upon them as soon as they get a chance, because you never know how much time you have left. "Ok," they said. I thanked them for their help today, and wished them a "happy hour!"
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