Go be a witness
I think one of my favorite outcomes from this blog has been how many people reach out and share their Godwinks and stories of their own faith journeys. When I started writing this blog, I knew it was for a greater purpose than for me to see my words in print. I felt God calling me to share and in doing so, to encourage others to share. I have reminded us to be bold in our faith, that now is not a time to sit in the shadows. In the Book of Acts, Christians are reminded that the power they will receive from their faith is not for their own purpose, but for the purpose of being a witness to others, to spread God’s word. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8, NIV). In the past week, I have heard and seen the boldness of faith and many that have become witnesses to others.
My mom shared that her husband was overseas traveling and had misplaced his phone. He was on a special trip with his daughter, and although enjoying their time together, he felt disconnected without his phone that he had recently purchased. On their trip, they had to get on a plane to then get on a bus to cross the border back to get home. After they left the airport, they began the journey on the bus when his daughter received a call from the airlines-they had found his phone and were holding it for him. Now, I don’t know how much you have travelled on planes, but you are told when you’d depart to gather your belongings because they will not be returned if left behind. One person went through the trouble to find the owner of a lost item…remind you of anything? The least of us, we all matter. Whether you are the lost coin, the lost sheep, or the prodigal son, God does not give up on you. It may seem like an inanimate object and a simple item lost and found, but the timing of the discovery allowed him to return to the airport before he went too far in his journey. It allowed him to maintain contact with family back home while spending precious time with his daughter. None of the timing or circumstance were a coincidence or happenstance, Godwink.
I’ve mentioned our latest winter storms? From ice to over 12” of snow, all within a week! My husband Rob went to the store right as the snow began to fall this past weekend and arrived right before they were closing the store. While there, he noticed a lone man warming himself inside the store. Rob never meets a stranger so I am not surprised he started chatting with him and found out he had ridden his electric bike to grab some things from the store before the storm came in. The storm came in much faster and more severe than anticipated. Rob, who still had his bike rack on the back of his vehicle from his ride in the previous week, offered to take him where he needed to go. Can you imagine? You meet a complete stranger, you start a conversation to check on them, you find out they rod a bike in a snowstorm, and you offer them a ride home…without a single concern for self or any personal risk or inconvenience. Oh-and he happened to have a bike rack…in a snow storm. He took him home and has now shared that story with many others. How is that for being a witness? None of the timing or circumstances were a coincidence or happenstance, Godwink.
Finally, I ran into someone and we were talking about photos and headshots and I shared one of my personal business cards (Love my headshots and professional photos by Melissa Lynn Hunt). I walked away and she followed shortly after and shared that she had gone to school and studied theology and wondered if I knew that. In that random encounter (not random!) we talked a little about our faith and a lot about how that encounter was meant to be.
These are a few of many stories. I wish I could share every connection and every story of faith shared. When you share your story, others will share theirs. In your courage to be bold as a witness, you encourage those around you.
Today, I pray that you not hesitate to share your stories of faith. Share your Godwinks and take action and follow when God calls on you-go be a witness!
