After chatting with someone while in a coffee shop, I went back to where I was sitting. Across from me at a small table, it looked like a guy had settled in to stay a while! He had his laptop set up and two bags with him, but I never saw another person come over there. Always pay attention. Be alert. You never know what might catch your eye. In most every coffee shop, a college-aged person will only have one bag with them―usually their backpack with their whole life stored in it! I don’t think I have ever seen someone with two bags and sitting by themselves.
I looked over and said, “Why do you have two bags? Are you staying a while?” He smiled and let me know that he had come home from college for the weekend. He then told me that he didn’t have a car and someone dropped him off at the coffee shop, and he was waiting for his mom to pick him up later. So my guess was, though I didn’t ask him, that either he brought clothes to wear for the weekend or he brought home a bit of laundry for his mom to help him with!! Well, at least that is what we did back in the day. Thank you, Mom! You probably never knew how much stress you took off me by washing my clothes!
We chatted for a bit, and then I asked him, “What do you think happens when you die?” Park let me know he was an atheist. He had stood up by this point and was standing near my table. He also let me know that he had a Christian background. As I proceeded, I asked him, “What did you find untrue about Christianity that led to choosing atheism?” He said that he did not find the historicity of biblical Christianity to be true. As he was saying this, he kind of eyed a chair at my table, and I just nodded toward it. Park plopped himself down, and we were off and running with a conversation!
I stated that historians Tacitus and Josephus both wrote about Jesus during those days. He liked that. We kept talking about truth. Fulfilled prophecies are always great topics to cover in a conversation like this.
We talked about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We talked about the 500 eyewitnesses mentioned in 1 Corinthian 15:6:
“After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”
Park was a fun guy to chat with. Very intellectual. He was a Computer Science major in college. He liked to process information. I like people like that. He also likes to read, so I gave him a copy of One Heartbeat Away and a booklet. He was very grateful. He then said to me, “I sure wish more Christians were as passionate about Jesus and Christianity as you are.”
What an interesting statement. Deep, deep down, I really think he wants to believe. But he is looking. He is watching. He sees and hears other Christians. But he wants to see passion. He wants to see someone who takes their faith seriously. He wants to know that faith is more than just a Sunday thing or a get-out-of-Hell-free card that you hope to cash in on Judgment Day.
Colossians 3:23
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
I am glad Park parked himself at the next table over. I am glad that Park came over and parked himself at my table. Go park yourself somewhere. Pray. Pray hard. And watch what the Lord will do!!
Until the Nets are Full,
P.S. Pat and Sharon sent us this great note along with an order of booklets.
People around you need truth, whether it’s an entire village
or a person you meet in a coffee shop. And God has called you to bring it to them.
To pick up booklets to help you in your witnessing efforts,
click on the following link:
https://markcahill.org/product-category/booklets/
P.P.S.
