You just never know!
Years ago, I met a young doctor named Paul. He was from Canada and he was sitting on the steps of an art museum at the Mound in Edinburgh, Scotland. I sat down beside him and began a conversation. I asked him why he was in Edinburgh and I found out he had come to learn more about his profession and gain some experience. He asked me why I was in Edinburgh. I related some of my story and told him about YWAM and how we shared our faith through drama, song and story with anyone who would watch and listen. He was more than interested. We began to talk about different aspects of faith and belief. I soon found out he was a Catholic but had never gained an understanding of the gospel. He was searching.
After our conversation he invited me to dinner where we continued our talk. A few days later, I returned to his house with a book about a young Catholic man who encountered Jesus in a personal way. The book helped Paul greatly and watered the seed already planted in his heart. Over the next few days Paul and I continued to meet.
The time came when I needed to return home so I encouraged Paul to connect with a great church in the city. A few weeks later I received a letter from Paul that he had gone to the church, connected the dots, and had given his life to Jesus. Paul stayed true and later married a great Scottish girl and moved back to Canada.
During the first stages of the rewrite of my book I received an encouraging phone call from Paul. He wanted to catch up all these years later. He was appreciative of our connection and my role in leading him toward faith. Now his daughter is in Edinburgh launching a new YWAM base. She is a blond, dread-locked, barefoot dancer who loves Jesus and is pursuing her destiny by bringing others into the Kingdom of God. I was so grateful to hear of God’s generational purpose for Paul and his daughter being fulfilled.
This story illustrates how the process principle works. I was able to water the seed already planted in his heart by the Catholic Church. He was probably at a –50 on the scale. He had a concept of God. He had an awareness of his need, and was searching. Perhaps as a result of our time together and reading the book he moved to a –10. By the movement of the Holy Spirit upon his life, hearing life messages, and experiencing the love of the members of the church, he may have been moved to a –5. At just the right time a specific person was able to introduce him to Jesus and God brought the increase. Paul discovered faith in Jesus Christ and was born again now a +1 in the Kingdom of God.
Paul is an example of how many people come progressively toward saving faith in Jesus Christ. I believe this is the norm. We are co-workers with the Holy Spirit. Our role is to sow and water seeds in faith.
I’ve learned I can relax into my role of being one of God’s co-workers. It's His role to bring the increase. My role is to learn to be a positive empowered co-worker nudging people toward the Kingdom as I am enabled. Sometimes my role involves a power encounter. Other times it’s my role to serve a person with a simple act of kindness, or it’s my role to have a caring conversation.
To learn more you can purchase the book go. sow. here https://www.createspace.com/4734335
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