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I think I’ll try to talk to him, I thought, noticing a tall, young guy, in his upper teens, walking at a brisk pace.
It was St. Patrick’s day 2024, and a group of us were at the parade, handing out tracts and getting into conversations.
I handed the young man a tract and just started walking beside him. I struck up a conversation about Patrick. He seemed a little surprised by this stranger walking next to him, but he responded politely.
“What do you believe about God?” I asked him.
“Well, my mom grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness,” he said.
Knowing I might have only another 100 feet to walk with him, I decided to focus on the deity of Christ: “You know, Jesus Christ had to be God or He would not have been able to save us from the judgment of God. Our sin was a God-size problem.”
He listened. He didn’t argue about Jesus, but said something about how life is confusing.
“By the way, I’m Harold. What’s your name?”
“My name is Quan.”
“It wasn’t Patrick who changed Ireland, but Jesus,” I told him. “Jesus wants to change us too. Have you thought much about Jesus?”
“Yeah, some.”
“Life is about Jesus, and only He can solve our confusion.” I felt I could be direct, since he was listening and responding.
We only walked together for about two blocks, but in that short time we formed a degree of friendship. I think he could sense that I cared about him by the fact that he gave me personal answers as I asked him personal questions. It was a short conversation, but I prayed that seeds were planted.
Three days later something very surprising happened. I was at prayer meeting at church, and various people were sharing prayer requests.
One man said, “I’d like to ask prayer for a young man I was able to witness to at the mall this afternoon. His name is Quan.”
Quan? That got my attention. Quan isn’t a very common name and so I asked what he looked like.
After comparing notes, we realized it was the same Quan!
Everyone at prayer meeting was amazed! There were thousands of people at the parade, and the mall was far from the center of town. Yet, the Lord led both of us to share the gospel with the same young man that same week.
It was an encouragement to all of us to get a glimpse of God’s hand at work! And it was a reminder that even when we don’t get to see these glimpses, we can press on in faith, knowing that God is working.
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