Rain

Well, a very interesting 2 days. Laura began feeling bad yesterday afternoon before we were going to go out and do the survey. You can't ignore real pain, especially chest pain. So we prayed and tried to do something in the afternoon, and it seemed to help, but it all came back at night. So we tried to sleep and when that didn't work, we went to the ER about 11 pm. At 2:30 am they were taking her to room 421 and I went home, but I was up before 8 and back at her room by 9. It's almost 6 and we've been back home for about 20 minutes.

The good news is that Laura isn't sick, in fact, all the tests confirm and prove she's in great shape. I even saw her heart beat and one of her valves doing its thing. Quite amazing.

Somehow this all fits together in facing discouragement.

Wednesdays are always a little hard because my tight schedule gets stretched. But especially this Wednesday, I wanted to get out and do the survey/speak with some unchurched people. I had an added morning meeting that got pushed and then when I got there, the pastor I met with was shooting the breeze with someone, I assumed someone from his church. When I got my coffee I introduced myself and found out that "joe" doesn't go to that church, doesn't go anywhere and isn't a believer. So we two pastors tried to share with him, but we both realized how hard it would be since "joe" was raised by religious parents. He's probably heard the gospel a thousand times. He seemed open because of the misery he's causing himself (proof of the truth) but still hardened by his background and his thinking he can still do things better without God. Funny that the opportunity the Lord opened, in answer to my prayer to witness to someone, would be with a church-hardened person. That's like so many of those we've talked to doing the survey. But I gave "joe" my card and still hope that after living the high life and running two marriages into the rocks, he is softening to hear the truth and give everything to Christ.

So Thursday I really set my sights on doing the survey. The idea is to try to find 50-100 unchurched where there is some openness and invite them to talk…just talk. I wanted to go out with Laura, and it seemed like the plan until after lunch when she began to hurt and lost all energy. I tried to cheer her up and pray and distract her. It worked for a little, but she kept hurting. So, after having gone past my start-up time, I went out anyway. I arrived on Mahaffie and parked and it started to rain. I couldn't believe it. I sat there and prayed and thought, and it kept on raining. You can't fight well with rain.

Finally I started home and went by a hardware store. Anyway, by the time I was done, it had quit raining, and I decided to go back. There's been too much resistance and discouragement aimed at us to just give up. I knocked on another 10+ doors. Mostly nothing. But I came to the house where we had been last Sunday that looked like college students lived there. This guy in his 20's comes out, "joe." The first question worked when he said he hasn't been to church more than 3 times in his life. The second question was a dud….nothing to say. The third question brought him to thinking, forever, but no answer. The fourth had the same lengthy effect, and when he took forever with the fifth question and finally said something about the economy, I was wondering. Then I threw in a sixth question, "If someone you liked and trusted had asked you to church last Sunday, would you have gone." Immediately he said, "Oh yeah, I would have gone." And I knew he had meant it.

Then came the evening and the adventure in the ER. Discouragement? Sort of, but more like just following the Lord. The Lord is working. I feel confident that seeds are being planted and that contacts are being made and that some of these guys like "joe" are being worked on by the Lord and might come to an evening. For us, we set our hope in Christ knowing that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength, and maybe one of these "joes" will be moved by the Spirit and will step closer to Christ. Jesus said the fields are white, so we work.