Then I begin the normal questions that come in my mind, "How would I start a conversation with a random stranger?" "What if she is enjoying a nice relaxing evening and doesn't want to be bothered?" "What if she is offended by me even mentioning the name of Jesus?" "What if she has questions that I don't know how to answer?"
Then, as I am going through these questions in my mind and reading the book, I come to the following words in the book (I swear I couldn't have planned this to be even more perfect if I tried)
"So imagine sitting at a coffee shop today. What if God has been preparing the woman at the table next to you to hear the gospel? What if he has sovereignly arranged the circumstances in her life to set the stage for a conversation you will have with her about Jesus? What is God desires to use you, as you speak the gospel to her today, to change her life forever. But, you might think, it's just not that easy to speak about Jesus to the person sitting next to me at a coffee shop. We all have fears that quickly rise to the surface - the fear of offending someone, the fear of saying the wrong thing, the fear of being rejected, or even just the fear of initiating an awkward conversation. Yet such fears are only a sign that we are forgetting who we are. We are followers of Christ who have been crucified with Him; we no longer live, but Christ lives in us. He has united his life with ours and put His Spirit in us for this purpose. Without him, we have reason to fear; with Him, we have reason for faith."
Wow, talk about everything setting up for a perfect opportunity to share the gospel. Ok, so now what. So first I lay down my book mark on the table between us that says "Jesus" in red letters, thinking maybe that'll spark a conversation (as if anytime anyone sees the name Jesus, they will automatically pour their heart out). Needless to say, that didn't work. Ok, I can do this. What should I say first...after much debating...she packs up her things and walks out the door...I never said a word...
As I sit here now in the same coffee shop, I am still overcome by sadness and embarrassment. But at the same time, I feel motivated and empowered. It's as if God used this perfect missed opportunity to give me a wake up call. I need to never let this happen again. I have people all around me each day that are dying and going to hell and I sit around and open my mouth to sip on my poor man's caramel macchiato but never open my mouth to share the words that lead to eternal life...never again.
