Livin Lively

By Peggy Lively

            On Christmas Day, a 23 year old man on a plane heading to Detroit attempted to detonate a device containing a high-explosive chemical. The man claimed to be on a mission for Al Qaeda, an extremist Muslim group. With this news still fresh in the media, we made our way to the airport early the next morning.

            The airport was packed with holiday travelers, and with tightened security due to this reported incident, it made for a very long wait getting through security.

            When we finally arrived at our gate, I immediately noticed a man that looked to be of Middle Eastern decent, with a full beard and clothed head to toe in religious garb. He wore a long robe and had a cross on the back of his head covering and a large cross around his neck. As I observed him, suddenly, a sense of fear stirred up inside of me. I didn’t know what his religious faith was, but I knew that many terrorist attacks were the result of religious zealots, claiming to be making the ultimate sacrifice for their “god.”

            As I boarded the plane behind my family, I ended up sitting on the aisle seat in the row across from this man; he sat in the seat by the window. I continued to glance over at him and pray like crazy for God’s protection of my family as we flew.

            Somewhere though in the middle of my prayers, my heart and focus completely changed. Within about ten minutes, I became more concerned about this man’s salvation than about my own safety. So I began to pray for him, that he would know the One true God and salvation through His Son Jesus. And as I prayed for him, my fears subsided.

            Having alleviated my fear, I picked up the book I brought with me and began to read. I was reading The Magnificent Obsession by Anne Graham Lotz, and God continued to work in my heart through it.

            In her book, Anne beautifully explains salvation in Christ alone, and speaks about how we need to look for opportunities to share our faith with those around us. She encourages us to pass on the baton of our faith: “God the Father sends you and me into the world to not only seek and save those who are lost but to bring them into a love relationship with His Son. We are to pass on the baton not only from generation to generation within our families but we are to pass it to others outside of our homes as well.” (page 232-233)

            As I continued to read, I continued to pray for this man across the aisle. Then I realized that God wanted me to do more than just pray. I read, “God the Father so loved everyone of every generation in the whole world that even before creation, He took counsel with Himself and decided to create each person for the purpose of knowing Him in a personal, permanent love relationship. Yet even as He brought us into existence, He knew we would sin and fall short of His purpose for our lives; therefore, He took the initiative and made preparations to send His own Son to be our Savior, who would give His life as a sacrifice to make atonement for our sin. Through faith in His death and resurrection, we can be forgiven of our sin, be reconciled to the Father, and come back into the purpose for which we were originally created. But that sacrifice is effective only for those who claim it for themselves by faith. And how will anyone know to do that unless they are told?” (page 233)

            With those last twelve words, I knew that I had to tell this man about Jesus. And as I thought about the practical reality of this, I felt prompted to give him my book. My first thought was that I didn’t want to give it up because Anne had written a personal note in the front of it and signed it. Then I thought, “I haven’t finished reading it yet.” I was on the last twenty-five pages, and felt an urgency to finish the book so I could pass it on.

            As I finished the book, feeling a little sick to my stomach , my palms sweaty and practically shaking, I stood up and stepped across the aisle. I leaned in toward the man and said, “You ‘look’ like a man committed to God, and I wanted to give you this book.” He smiled and thanked me, as the two people I had to reach across looked at me with an interested gaze. As I sat back down, he immediately opened the book and began reading. He read for the duration of the flight, and I continued to pray.

            As we landed, he smiled and gave me his card. So now I have a name and a church to pray for as well.

            Who is God putting in your path to share your faith with? Is it a neighbor, a co-worker, a total stranger? Look around you for those that He may be prompting you to share His love with, then pass it on.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30973.html#ixzz0blh8NMj1