For a Christian, honest, deep, heartfelt praise of God and Jesus is the most fulfilling act we can experience.  A close second to that is leading someone to Christ.  Wednesday December 19th I was blessed beyond measure to be able to do just that.

I work in downtown Denver Colorado and because of parking limitations I park about 3 blocks from the building I work in.  I was walking to my car around 3:30pm (I work the early shift) and out for no where a man on a bicycle road up next to me and started talking.

“I think I’m getting a divorce today.”

Those were the first words out of his mouth.  Taken off guard by such a random comment and still unsure of this man’s intentions, I was guarded and responded,

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

He responded, ” Eh, its probably the best thing, she’s all f*cked up on meth and is a hooker n’ sh*t.”

(I apologize for the language but reality is tough.)

“Sounds like you are making the right choice then.”  I replied, still keeping my emotional distance.

My parking lot is at the corner of a busy intersection and not being sure what this man wanted, I decided to stop at that corner and not lead him directly to my car, just in case.

The man said, “Hey, thanks for listening to me, I just need someone to talk to so bad, my heart just hurts so bad and I’ve got to get this stuff out of me.”

At that point I could tell this wasn’t a street person who was just going to beg for money, but truly just a man who was terribly hurting and so alone in his life that he had to pick a random person on the street to discuss his problems with because there was no one else in his life who cared enough to listen.

So we talked.  His name is Jason and he’s had a rough go if it.  Stuck in a violent relationship with a drug addict/prostitute wife, no job, no money, and no ID (was left in a different state).  He told me how his wife mentally and physically abused him, hitting him and calling him such horrible things as a “fleshy bag of sh*t”.  My wife is not perfect but I can’t in my wildest dreams imagine her calling me something so cruel.  I tried to keep bringing the conversation back to him though, focusing on how he can take his life where he wants it and that he has no control over his wife.  I wanted him to focus on the fact that God has given his life intrinsic value, GREAT intrinsic value and that he should ignore the lack of value imparted on his life by his wife.  Additionally I impressed upon him that God loved his wife enough to send his only son to die on the cross for her.  Given the kind of person she is, doesn’t it then stand to reason that he loves him (Jason) just as much?  That message really resonated with him.  It was definitely God speaking through me, I would never have known what to say on my own.   

After an hour God gave me the opening that He needed.  Jason said to me, “I’m just so lonely.  I just want someone to unconditionally love me, someone to be proud of me.” 

I don’t think that I’ve ever heard a heart call out to Jesus so clearly.  I had already explained the Four Laws to him (I will post these in the forums shortly) and how exactly a person can find peace from God and experience the love and salvation of Jesus so I asked him,

“Do you want the free gift of salvation that Jesus has offered you?” 

Quietly he replied, “yes.”

Together, at the corner of a busy intersection at 4:45 at night Jason prayed with me that he acknowledged that he was a sinner that needed saving and that accepted the free gift of salvation offered by God through the death and resurrection of His son, Jesus Christ.  Here we are a couple of 27 year old men, locked in a hug, crying, praying together at a busy intersection during rush hour; what a spectacle we must’ve been! lol

I didn’t have an extra Bible with me in my car, but God provides in amazing ways.  The opposite corner of that intersection is one of the best known bookstores in Denver, The Tattered Cover.  I told him I’d be right back and zipped inside to buy him a Bible  and was able to get a great smaller one that should hold up well to any level of use.  I marked a couple things for him and then we talked some more.

“I feel like I can have hope for the first time in forever,” Jason told me.

I promised him that though God tells us we will have trials and tribulations that we can rejoice in them because they make us stronger in faith and that no matter what happened in life from that point forward that He would be in heaven with Jesus, and that I would see him there.  He was smiling and seemed to have less weight on his heart, I think that while he’ll have hards days ahead, God will lead him and make him into a great man.  I’ve been praying contunally for his new faith and that God blesses and brings him peace each day. 

I am deeply humbled that God chose to speak through me to Jason so that he could share in the love of Jesus.  I am no model Christian belive me, there are far better people to wistness than I.  Just the other day my wife and I were talking about missionaries and I remarked that I doubted I could ever be one because I’m not that great at sharing my faith.  Funny how God hears that kind of remark and IMMEADIATELY puts you in a situtaion showing you that if you rely upon him, your personal “skills” don’t matter, but only your faith in God you use you in the best way possible.

In closing, God also has amzing timing and planning. 

I normally don’t leave work at 3:30pm.  That was the first day I’d left at that time in weeks.  Typically I leave at 4:30pm and had that been any other day AND had I not specifically made plans to leave early that day, I would’ve never met Jason.

Looking at the plans God lays out is humbling and awe inspiring.  He is truly worthy of praise. 

Please pray for Jason.