Will You Be Ready

God moves.  We can all affirm this.  We can also agree that we cannot predict, plan around, and imagine when or how He will act.

For example: yesterday I bought a new guitar.  I had looked online for a few weeks, just to see what was out there, had gone to a few places.  But yesterday I went to a store in Charleston.   The owner helped me, gave me a guitar to try (that turned out being what I purchased!), and we made little smalltalk about guitars and whatnot.  I mentioned I was a worship leader, and we moved on.

The owner gets a phone call and excuses himself to take it, where he starts talking about this bad news he and his wife had received.   When he comes back, my mouth said "Did you get some bad news this week?" (I am not a person who asks blunt questions like this to a stranger...)  He looks down, and says yes, and explains that earlier that week his wife found out she had breast cancer.  That is was operable, but was still terrifying facing this terrible disease.  I didn't know what to say- I did the Christian thing and said I'd pray for her- but God wanted more.  Before I knew it, I'm talking about things that I have learned this summer- with Brian's death, the accident, and the death of one of my mom's best friends- we can't see it and probably won't for a long time- but Romans 8:28 is true. God has a plan for everything and everything happens for a reason. I kept thinking- this is not what you tell someone who's wife just found out she has cancer!  But God kept working on me- I explained that even though he will always want to take the cancer away- he and his wife will look back on this as the time where they were closer than ever before, when they treasured each moment together.  

I didn't talk long- I listened more than anything.  We talked about faith, a stranger and myself while I hold his rather pricey guitar.  We bore souls.  And while I don't know the man's heart- I know that God moved.  I wasn't expecting Him to.  I went into the store to buy a guitar, not to minister.  But that is why the Christian doesn't have a special hat for his faith, like jack-of-all-trades have their 'plumber hat', their 'electrician hat', etc.  God moves at any time.  And it is one of those things that you don't attribute to yourself- I'm not a 'better person' because I spoke to the guy about this.  It wasn't me doing that- if you know me at all you know I'm an introvert.  But God grabs you and before you realize what is happening, your ministering to a brother in need.

I write this example to say this: don't try to plan your life around sharing the Gospel.  You can't.  You must integrate your life into the Gospel- so that when to moment comes- your ready.   God will give you the words- but you still need to be prepared.  Police go on patrol not just to waste gas, but so that when a situation arises, they already have someone nearby, in a car, ready to go.

Prepare for the unexpected.