A witness encounter with a strange twist.

Have you ever watched a movie that had a surprise twist in the ending? One that made you say No Way! You then look back at the entire movie and see the little details a new perspective? A bunch of previous insignificant things all come together to paint a bigger picture. Well that’s what this witness encounter was.

Some of you know that I do online evangelism. Lesser of you know I have a real problem talking to people (pray for me!). Not just about Christ, but any subject. I have gotten tunnel vision and could not hear my own words, gotten lightheaded etc. when speaking to groups. One on one I go red and usually steer clear of small talk at all costs. That being said sometimes The Lord has a fish jump right in my boat and He takes control of my mouth.

Here is what happened. I had to take an important phone call for a project at work. I knew it was going to be a long one with some deep thinking. I was driving and I saw a park pulled in there and sat on a picnic bench. An old man pulled in and parked at the far corner of the parking lot. 20 minutes later he pulled out and parked nearly in front of me. I continued with my phone call but got the feeling he wanted my attention.

When I say old I mean old! I later learned he was in his upper 70’s, he was tiny and could barely see over the steering wheel. As the feeling grew stronger I thought The Lord was making it clear he is bringing me this sweet old man so I could tell him the gospel. On a hunch I told the person I was talking to I would have to call them back. I casually walked by his car to see if my feeling was right. If it was meant to be, God would have to initiate the conversation because I was not going to. Sure enough the man waved to me, I approached his vehicle and asked if he needed something. He babbled and did not make much sense. He asked what I was doing and didn’t really complete any sentences. I thought he was completely out of it and was shocked he was driving! He asked me to get in his car, I thought that was strange, but he was so old I did not feel any danger, the car was not running and I left my door open.

Despite my fears of speaking to people, I knew I could overcome them with an incoherent elderly man. I made up my mind he was going to get the gospel. I asked if he had a religious background. Nope. I told him I have a ministry and asked if I could show him what I do with people (which is to give the law, then the gospel ala Way of The Master, ala The Bible). Although this man never stole anything in all his years (I just let that go). He was a lying, blasphemous, adulterer at heart. He admitted he was guilty. He no longer seemed incoherent to me, but he had all his means it was clear there was nothing wrong with this man’s mind at all.

It also seemed clear he was ready to end the conversation. Twitching in his seat he admitted although he was guilty it was not up to him to decide if he should go to hell. I used the analogy of a judge on earth rewarding lawbreakers. He admitted a judge would not be good nor just by not punishing lawbreakers. He admitted a good judge has to punish the guilty. He finally admitted he deserved to go to hell.

I asked if he knew what God did so he would not have to go to hell. He did not. Amazing! A man in his upper 70s never heard a clear gospel presentation we should all be ashamed of ourselves! I told him of the brutal torturous punishment God laid on Himself, that he deserved. I told him this way God could remain just and still dismiss all of his sins. "Jim", I said, "you broke all the rules and God paid your fine." I explained repenting and trusting Christ. He said he was going to do it. I asked when, and he said sometime soon. I reminded him of his age and said even someone in their 20s could die any second and he need not put it off. He agreed and said he would do it soon. I asked if he owned a Bible, he did not. I said I usually have one in my car that I would give to him but today I didn’t. He said he would get his hands on one himself and read it.

I told him it was not a coincidence we met. He said he comes that park a couple times a week and asked if he would see me again. I said I would certainly come back and look for him.

That’s the basic story I told my wife. I added one more detail, which sent me through the entire encounter with a new perspective. I mentioned when he was trying to get my attention he had a $5 bill in his hand and said that was weird. She asked what it was for and I said he was just holding it in the air when he parked the car in front of me. She said are you sure he wasn’t gay? Many other details I left out of the story flashed through my head.

I remembered that when he asked me to sit in his car one of the first things he did was move toward me and his hand toward my leg. His hand suddenly stopped right before my leg, it was awkward, but I discounted that as a lonely old man, who was not all there. Then what at first seemed like gibberish small talk about what I was doing there he was really feeling me out if I was interested (perhaps a little nervous his talk made no sense to me). Then I learned that park was a place where people looked for that sort of hook up. To top it all off the obvious clincher was something he asked me. When he was convicted and saw his sin for what it was he straight out asked me, “What does The Bible say about homosexuality?” He wanted to know what God thought about it! It never crossed my mind he was asking about himself. Luckily I told him it’s a sin like many others that God will forgive if you trust and repent. Wow I thought God delivered me a sweet old man to hear the gospel perhaps before he passed on, but really sin motivated the conversation, but God was faithful to turn it into something more. With all those clues, I never saw it, however just the $5 bill and it was my wife's first instinct.

Don’t get me wrong the gospel was preached and he seemed to receive it well. However when I thought about the other details it went from God delivering me a sweet old man, to vile sinful lusts delivering him to me. Maybe I am ignorant, but such an old man picking me up? I am a 31-year-old man who could pass for his early 20s. I never once thought that he was looking for…..Praise God, regardless of the circumstance, I think Jim is going to get saved!

I am going to visit that park again and hopefully I will run into Jim. I will bring a Bible in case he did not get one of his own yet. Please pray for him.