This was the first year in decades that I didn’t have Thanksgiving with Mom or Dad. My mom is in Heaven now, and my dad has been moved to an assisted living facility in a different state. Even though family traditions have changed, could not those changes have opened up the opportunity to go in a different direction for how to spend the day?
One thing I enjoy doing on Christmas Day is just driving around and finding people who are by themselves, and striking up a conversation with them. Holidays can be very lonely times for people. Relatives may have passed away, their family might be in a different state, and they don’t have the funds to travel there, etc. You also find out that suicide rates are higher over the holidays, especially since the lockdowns. Matter of fact, in one of the stories below, the person told me that they had been very, very depressed lately.
Bearing the Light of Christ
As Christians, shouldn’t we be a bright spot in people’s lives? Shouldn’t we bring some light into their lives and push out some of that darkness?
John 1:3-9
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
If Jesus brings light unto other men, shouldn’t we be doing the same? Just like John the Baptist brought the light of Jesus to others, shouldn’t we be about the Father’s business and do the same? Shouldn’t we bring the light of hope into the lives of others and give them the light of eternal hope through our Lord Jesus Christ?
So I decided to venture out and see what kind of trouble I could cause!
A Different Kind of Thanksgiving
I stopped at three different Waffle Houses. I decided to buy the meals for all of the tables of one of the waitresses there, bless the waitress, bless the folks at those tables, and then bless the whole staff at the restaurant. All I know is that some people were not eating turkey on Thanksgiving because those Waffle Houses were packed!!
Never forget to bless the staff and especially the kitchen folks at restaurants. They are on their feet all day, and many times have to put up with crazy people. No, not me! The other people!
At the first Waffle House, I was able to bless a family of kids and cousins from Ethiopia. They were very thankful and grateful and took some reading material. At another table of my waitress’, Legend (what a great name!), was a guy from Cuba. He spoke fairly good English. I went to my car to get him both of my books in Spanish. He was very grateful. I got to tell him how those books had been printed in Cuba and were passed out to many of the pastors around the country.
At another Waffle House, I walked up to a table whose meals I had paid for when the lady said, “I know you!” Well, when my dad moved a few months ago, one group threw him a going-away party. I heard they were serving food, so I thought I should show up! Apparently, I had given this lady a book at that event and was given the opportunity to bless her again. Please say a prayer for Marie.
A Minstrel’s Blessing
As I was leaving one of the Waffle Houses, I saw a guy sitting on a bench. So, I pulled my car over and started chatting with David. He was from Newport News, VA, and didn’t have any family in the area. As you can see, he had his guitar with him. So, I asked him what his favorite kind of music was. He let me know it was folk rock. “Anyone in particular you really like?” I asked. He let me know it was Bob Dylan. He pulled out his guitar and said, “Since you blessed me, I am going to bless you with a song!” Bob Dylan? What song do you think he picked?
1 John 3:17
But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
You got it, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door!
I guess you can’t get an easier open door than that one! “David, if you were knocking on the door to Heaven, would God let you in?” David answered in the affirmative because he had been a good guy. And whenever people go that route, you can go right to the Ten Commandments to show them that no one—and I do mean no one—is good enough to go to Heaven. Then at that point, explaining the cross of Christ becomes very easy. People want forgiveness, and we need to tell them how they can receive it.
Proud and Loud
As I was driving away to go to another part of town, I pulled up to a red light. There was a lady in a convertible BMW next to me. So, I rolled my window down, and then she rolled hers down. I said, “Ma’am, are you born again? Are you saved?”
Now, I will do this every now and then at stoplights. I have had some fascinating conversations. One time, a guy in a pickup truck said he wanted a book, so I tossed it to him through the window!
If you think about it, there are like a million things she could have said:
“Thank you very much, but I am not interested.”
“That is a great hat you are wearing, but it would fly off my head in this convertible.”
“Goodness, you are handsome, but I will have to decline answering that question.”
“Thanks for asking. I hope you have a great day.”
I mean, like there are a million different things she could have said. But instead, she looked at me and said, “Oh, F-OFF!” Oh my. I thought ladies weren’t supposed to talk like that! And men neither! And it was Thanksgiving Day of all days! Shouldn’t she have been thankful that I care where she spends eternity? I responded, “Okay. I just want to see you in Heaven one day.” Then she flipped me off! Well, let’s just say that she didn’t invite me over for pumpkin pie later that evening! When the light turned green, she hit the turbo and left me in the dust.
1 John 3:13
Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
Never let encounters like this get you down. Why? You can’t forget people like that, and when you can’t forget them, you pray for them. Please pray for her soul.
Cup of Joe
I headed over to a coffee shop where a guy was sitting outside by himself. I said, “Are you thirsty?” He said, “Yes,” so I told him I would get him a drink. Isaiah and I had a good conversation. We sat at a long table with some people at the other end. When Isaiah left, I asked those folks, “Where are those accents from?” They said, “Palestine.” Well, we were off and running! Fascinating give-and-take. They all live in the U.S. now, but in different states, and they get together every year in one of their locations. They took three books and some booklets. They started reading the Islam section in The Second Greatest Lie. I let them know if I was off base or something was wrong there, to let me know. That is a good thing to say when you give this booklet to someone of a different faith. Challenge them to critique the section that covers their particular religion, and it will encourage them to read all of it. One guy who was reading it and said, “I’ve already learned something new about Islam!”
Once they left, I walked over to a guy who was working on his laptop. I said, “Do you like Elon Musk?” Now, that might sound like a strange question, but it wasn’t. On the back of his computer, he had a bunch of stickers. Tattoos, computer stickers, wording on a hat or t-shirt, etc., are all great things to use to strike up a conversation with someone. The stickers were logos of Tesla and Twitter. Those companies are both owned by Elon. Interestingly, the guy had done an internship at Twitter, but it was under Jack Dorsey. Well, Sam and I started talking, and I really had a great conversation. He told me he was Mormon. I asked how he became a Mormon. He said that two missionaries talked with him. Why in the world are Mormon missionaries so much bolder than so many Christians I know? They walk around, ride bikes, and tell people about a false Jesus, and here we have the true Jesus, but many Christians won’t even open their mouths. There is a zero percent chance that when I stand before God after I die, Mormon missionaries will have been bolder than me in reaching people. How about you?
Thankful, thankful, thankful for Thanksgiving. But truthfully, I need to live all of my days like that.
Finish the year strong for the Lord, and get ready for an unbelievable 2024!
Until the Nets are Full,
P.S.
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