I deliberated over which t-shirt to pull on with my black yoga pants. The bright scarlet one with the adorable lamb caricature spoke to me. I threw my hair back in a scrunchie and headed off to my "Aging Backwards" exercise class. I love the class because it is a fun combination of dance, yoga, and pilates movements.
The new session was starting, but creature of habit that I am, I headed for my usual spot in class. I immediately noticed a face I hadn't seen before, and she had her mat rolled out beside mine.
As other ladies greeted each other and gabbed, she stood quietly by herself looking around tentatively. I'm an introvert whom God has called to be an extrovert for His glory, so I knew this was my cue.
"Hi, my name is Bev. I haven't seen you before. Are you new today?" I said with a smile.
"Yes," she replied. "My name is Katherine and I'm not sure what I've gotten myself into," she laughed.
"Don't worry," I reassured her. "We were all new once and I'm sure you'll catch on quickly. And if you don't, most of us go the wrong way half the time anyway." I chuckled -- hoping to set her at ease.
"I like your shirt," she continued --probably happy to have someone to talk to. "The lamb is adorable...what does your shirt say?" she queried as she studied me.
"He left the 99 to rescue me (Matthew 18:12)," I stated. Her blank stare begged for a better explanation, so I continued. "It's about the parable of the lost sheep in the Bible. Have you heard that story?"
"No," she said quietly.
"It's one of my favorite stories about how much Jesus loves us and will go to the ends of the earth to save us." I was able to quickly get the words in before class started.
So what's my point?
A simple cute and colorful t-shirt opened a dialogue and an opportunity to plant a seed. I hope I get the opportunity to continue to water it, but even if I don't, I know we are in such times that we can't be shy about our faith. The clock is ticking and now is not the time to be ashamed of our faith.
"Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge me before others, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven." (Matthew 10:32)
I have several t-shirts designed and distributed by a company called Love in Faith. https://www.loveinfaith.life If I watch, I can score a t-shirt I like for only $10. -- not bad for a conversation starter.
Recently, One shirt with the quote, "Tell Your Mountain About Your God" caught the attention of a barrista in Starbucks and another seed was planted.
"Not Perfect, Just Forgiven," has garnered some comments as well. Who would have thought t-shirts could be a way of opening doors to share your faith?
This next idea, at first, struck me as possibly inappropriate. It was an idea I heard about on a Christian podcast. The speaker talked about how he purchased tracts, which succinctly and colorfully, shared the Gospel message. He would paper clip a crisp one dollar bill to each tract and then would leave them places to be "discovered."
Some of his favorite "hiding places" were the snack and beer aisles in the grocery store, on a table in a coffee shop or bar, and this is the one that got me -- in the bathrooms of every store, mall, office building, school, medical office, hospital, hotel, bar, restaurant, etc. he visited.
Bathrooms? Really?
Yes, bathrooms. The host, shared on one podcast, how Bible prophecy pastor JD Farag came to know the Lord because someone left a Gospel tract in a public bathroom and his heart was ripe for the Spirit to speak.
So yes, I carry Gospel tracts, published by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, with one dollar bills attached, in my purse, wherever I go. When I leave one someplace, I pray for the person who finds it because maybe their heart will be ripe to hear the truth. For tracts: https://www.billygrahambookstore.org
Less than 6% of Americans (according to Barna researchers) have a truly Biblical worldview. That's not many of us. How many lost souls are out there -- ripe and ready for the harvest? Thousands. Guess that means we better get to work because we are on the cusp of the tribulation, and don't we want more souls to be caught up in the rapture of believers, beforehand? You bet!
I know I don't have the spiritual gift of "Evangelism," but that doesn't excuse me from being God's messenger -- it just means I need to get a little more creative about the process.
I hope this post has gotten your creative juices flowing. Please share in the Comments section any ideas you have for sharing your faith.
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few." (Matthew 9:37)
Be blessed...
