Through It
Through It is a Christian podcast hosted by Ariana and Kimberly - two women who love Jesus and have been through it. Join them for real, faith-filled conversations on how to talk through it, walk through it, pray through it, and get through it.
Through It
Strangers, Stories, And The Gospel
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This week Ariana + Kimberly share stories from the week of opportunities they had to share Jesus with strangers.
If we don't have all the right things to say but we have something better, The Holy Spirit.
Follow us and send us your prayer request on Instagram at @throughitpodcast
Okay, yeah, let's get started. All right, welcome to Through It. Welcome to Through It. We're recording. Okay. This is Kimberly. This is Ariana. It is not Saturday. We're just talking about how our schedules have been so irregular. We're recording on a Sunday afternoon.
SPEAKER_00Twice? Three times. How many times have we done this?
SPEAKER_02I don't, I I would not know. It feels like three. Twice. Okay. Because we did we did two on one. Okay. Yeah, yeah. So it's the third episode, but yeah, I just got back from Moses late this morning. So I feel tired. I'm not sure. Everything I feel like I'm in a dream right now. You know, exhausted. One of those moments. Yeah. I slept really good last night, though, I will say. Um but I'm good.
SPEAKER_00That's good that you slept well.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Because I knew before I didn't.
SPEAKER_00I don't want to say worry. Worry isn't the right word. But it does, but I don't like that you are tired.
SPEAKER_02No, it's like a, you know, sometimes when like there's times you're busy and it's stressful, and there's times when you're busy, but you're like content and it actually feels good. I like, yeah, that's what it feels like. It's like a good busy. I will say though, that reminds me when I drove to eastern Washington Thursday night, the storm.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So you guys, there were winds that were up to the weather report the next day said the winds got up to 70 miles per hour. And I fully felt that. Driving? Yes.
SPEAKER_0070 miles an hour.
SPEAKER_02I've never been so nervous driving in my life.
SPEAKER_01Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02So, like, even on the freeway, I could feel my car getting pushed. I could not let go of my steering wheel. Yeah. There was, it was, and then there are these trees that are insanely tall. They've been there for decades that were sideways. And so when I was driving, I was just like, I must have been praying for like I don't know how many minutes straight, but just praying, like, okay, Lord, get me there safely, but please don't let anything hit my car. And there was like a small branch that hit my car where like the next day I had to check my car to see if like it had done any damage.
SPEAKER_00Did it?
SPEAKER_02No.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_02Praise God.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02But I, yeah, it was nuts. And it was funny too, because I was on the phone with you for part of the time where it's like from a distance you can see the lightning miles ahead, and it really looked beautiful. But also, I didn't put two and two together. I'm like, okay, Kim, you're actually driving straight into that mess.
SPEAKER_00There's a there's a lesson there somewhere. We can we can pull something out of the bio here. Yeah, yeah. No, going straight into it. Look at that shiny thing. Oh, pretty. Watching how pretty the storm is on the outside and walking straight into it. Yeah. But then you just walk right out, and then what was it like the next day? Like it never happened.
SPEAKER_02I mean, and I will say though, certain parts of town, like the state park, there were trees that were completely uprooted. And there was a lady that came um to the estate sale, and she was like, I had these beautiful walnut trees in my yard, two of them that were 40 years old, and they got uprooted.
SPEAKER_00Oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_02Crazy. And then our house, grandpa's house, um, didn't get touched. People made comments like, How come none of your trees fell over?
SPEAKER_00There was a lot of praise. Jesus.
SPEAKER_02Jesus. That's it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Did you say that? No, I wish I did. I always say things like that. I think people think I'm, they just look at me funny.
SPEAKER_02I think I said praise God is usually what I, you know, say, or like, thank God, praise God. There's always like little nuggets you want to throw in with either God or Jesus.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02But I wish I just would have been like, it was Jesus.
SPEAKER_00Do you know? Have you met? Yeah, do you know? And I introduce you. Yeah. Yeah. Well, there we go. I think this is a great segue into what we're talking about today. Right? Should I tee us up? Yeah. Um, so we've mentioned several times how in our Bible study we are going chapter through chapter in Matthew. And last week we talked about uh Matthew chapter 10. The um Jesus gathers the 12 apostles, he gives them authority, he sends them out. And something that he says to them, what verse is it? I thought it was 14. Oh, 14. Okay, so Matthew chapter 10, verse 14, Jesus says, and if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. And then I'll just go on to 15. Truly I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. That ended more extreme than it started. But the point being that, you know, what um having opportunities to share the gospel with people, uh, praying for those opportunities and uh what we do with them. We've talked about discipleship, we've talked about evangelism, but I mean, every day, all day we're evangelizing. Yeah. When we're talking or when we're not talking. And sometimes we get the chance to speak, to use our words.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I love how we're talking with a friend, and she was she was talking about how oftentimes we think evangelism means like go out and basically talk to everyone on the streets, you know, and yes, save souls, and even with a bullhorn, like that isn't necessarily evangelism, and it was like a really great reminder and even correction. Um, I'm gonna read another verse, Matthew 28, 19, which we've read on the podcast before, but it says, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Um, verse 20, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. But when it says, go therefore and make disciples of all nations, the go therefore is a lot of times what people I feel like emphasize on. But when it talks about discipleship, we have to remember that a disciple is to be a student of Jesus. And so to be a student of Jesus, sometimes it's not just like going out on the streets, but to be a student, you have to study. And to the sit and study um is the core of it, but also um to not feel pressured of just going out and talking about him everywhere you go.
SPEAKER_00And then tying it in with the verse in Matthew, we want to talk about him everywhere we go, but the way that the other person receives it isn't, it doesn't mean like we've messed it up, right? Or we didn't do it right. If right then and there that person was like, oh yes, you're right. I want to accept Jesus right now. But do you have a bathtub? Baptize me right now. And that if they don't respond that way, you've messed up. That's not true, right? We're seed planters that that we plant the seeds, somebody else will water, but God makes it grow.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So with the two verses that Arya and I shared just now, again, it says, if anyone will not receive your or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet with the go therefore and make disciples out of the nations. Like, like she said, we want to talk about Jesus, but to be discerning how someone is receiving it, and maybe even taking note of like where they are, and even just like moment by moment, like there's no one way to do something, to be discerning in that conversation when you meet this person, to constantly be asking God, like, okay, Lord, like is this an opportunity right now? Is this the time to go? Is this the time to back off? Um, but I think also more importantly, that that thought should even be on your mind to begin with.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And the um the prayer, because I know we we both pray for for opportunities to share. Um and listening when he taps you and the Holy Spirit's like, okay, here's your opportunity. And then, you know, maybe even stopping and asking, how do I say this? How do I start?
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So we were um both Kim and I were blessed with the opportunity to um talk to somebody about about Jesus this last week. I think we had two very different experiences. Which I love. Yeah. Um, and which one of us should go first? Go for it. Okay. I'll um I think mine is a shorter story. So the um I work in a home in in Seattle and it's in a in a neighborhood. So people come to the door often. And I don't know if I said this on the podcast or if I just said this to to Kim, but I had said, like, the next time or every time somebody calls me, like a solicitor or comes to the door, I'm gonna use that as my opportunity to evangelize. And I somebody finally came to the door last week, and I watched this man walk up, open the gate, and walk up to the front door. And I I thought immediately, oh yes, here we go. Here we go. I'm so ready. And I answer the door, and it's a young man, it couldn't be 30. At the oldest, he's 30. Okay. And he was selling magazine subscriptions. Interesting. I know. And um he the whole interaction was really interesting. So I answered the door and he goes, hey, uh, and it was kind of hard to understand all of his words, but he was like because he was like mumbling? Yeah, he was not enunciating well. Okay. Everything. I even had to ask him to like repeat. He kept saying, oatmeal beats no meals. And I was like, what? I just heard like meal, meal, meal. Say that, say that again, and what does that mean?
SPEAKER_01Like what I found for finally.
SPEAKER_00Good job. Kendrick, we're talking. Thanks. We'll be fast, Kendrick. So, um, anyways, this man's selling magazine subscriptions, and he says, Nobody wants the magazines, so you can donate them to a women's shelter if you would rather just just pay the pay for it to help me out with the commission.
SPEAKER_02So he said anything he said to help me out with the commission. Yeah, that's a good thing. For his commission.
SPEAKER_00So he said, anything over a hundred dollars, I make 80% of that. That's my commission. So he's like, so the neighbor just gave 150. And I'm like, okay, um, this is my house, but I can ask the people who who live here if it's something that they would want to do. And you might be thinking, Ariano, why didn't you just do it? And I'll tell you what, I was I I prayed in my head. Should I be giving this man money? And I I thought it the whole time because I was there with him for a while, and I didn't feel a strong conviction of doing it myself. Okay. Just honestly. Because I would have. But um I asked him kind of mid-conversation, out of nowhere. He said he was selling, doing he'd been doing it for 14 years. I don't think that was true. Um, but that he does it to support his daughter. I asked him where he was from, a bunch of like other small talkie kind of questions. And then I just said, Do you know Jesus? And he looked at me like I had grown another head. Like he looked so confused, and he's like, That's an odd question. Are you asking if I'm a Christian? And I was like, sure, but do you do you know Jesus? And he said that he was, he said he does know Jesus, that he is a Christian, and um, that he was a pastor's kid. And then he went on to say his dad was never behind the pulpit, but that he was a pastor. And then we were kind of got into the differences of that. So I said, Um, well, how can I pray for you? I'd love to pray for you. Uh-huh. And he's like, Oh, I don't know, like just for whatever. And I said, Well, I'm I'm not hearing from the owners of the house. I'm really sorry, but why don't I pray for you instead? And I can pray for that, like, you know, for prosperity and favor and blessings from the Lord for the rest of your stay here. He was flown out here. He doesn't live in Seattle to do this. And he ran away. Ran away. He said, no, thanks. Just be nice to the next person that that comes to the door. And I'm literally shouting after him, like, uh, I can pray for you right now. I'll pray for you later. Thank you. It was nice to meet you. Like it was a comedy skit as this man is running away from me. And I um I guess like, I don't know. I I was it was weird and a little comical. Um, I was happy that I got to at least talk about Jesus to some extent. I told him that, you know, you're going door to door, like this is your ministry. You're taking Jesus with you every time, even if you don't say anything, like you can preach without using words. Do you know that? Are you doing that? How cool it was not a conversation he wanted to be having. Yeah. And which I think is why when I was like, okay, I'm I'm not gonna give you money, but I'm gonna pray for you right now. Why he was like, You're wasting my time and ran away.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But it was it was a pretty cool experience. I didn't hate it. I I prayed for him and then kept praying for him and have been since because I I do um I know that wasn't an accident, it was a divine excitement.
SPEAKER_02So I do think it's cool too. I had mentioned to you, it's like even if he didn't um seem like he was receiving it in that moment, that it's he can't he can't unhear everything that you told him.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And so he's gonna carry that. And maybe I hope he lost sleep over it. For running away. Yeah, I hope he lost sleep over it thinking about um Jesus. Yeah. Maybe not necessarily just like that moment or of him running away, but of even his lack of willingness to want to receive prayer or even like the aversion that he felt to it. Like I would ask myself, like, why did that make me uncomfortable? You know, and I just like you said, they're seeds. And I hope those seeds just continue to stay there and that they are watered. Yeah, he can't unhear that. And especially if you have a daughter, come on.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I know. That's almost exactly what you said was what my prayer has been like, please let this like ring in his, like your name ring in his head. Like, let him not forget your name. Because it he said, like, nobody he however many years he's been doing that, nobody'd ever asked him that before. What in the world?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. You guys, I mean, I think this is a great because sometimes, um, you know, sometimes when someone says something, you're like, well, I just never, I never thought of that. So not to be like, oh, we're all failing as Christians that no one's ever talked to him about that, but like what a great idea. So what just an idea to keep in your back pocket, as if you live in a neighborhood where you frequently get solicitors or people knocking on your door, like what a beautiful opportunity where people are coming to you. Right. Literally being brought to you. Right. And you can mention it. And it doesn't have to be so deep sometimes. It could be as simple as like, do you know Jesus? Or like, where do you go to church? Or I mean, I'd love to pray for you. You don't even have to say anything. If you're like, oh, I'm scared I don't know anything. What if they ask more questions? I mean, you could even just be like, hey, I would love to pray for you.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I think is so great.
SPEAKER_00And you don't you don't have to have the answers to anything. One, you have the Holy Spirit. So you've got everything you need.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. We're not called to be the teacher in that way.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02We are just students as well. We're, you know, disciples out here.
SPEAKER_00And you never know what somebody is going through or what they're doing. I know that not a lot of people are stoked about door-to-door sales. It's fair. It can be lucrative in some um industries, but I know that it's a lot of rejection and and unpleasant interactions, I'm sure.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Because even the word or name solicitor is like not a very positive thing.
SPEAKER_00But I tell you what, you're coming to my door or you're calling my phone. Yeah. You want my time? I'm gonna give you time. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And then yeah, we're gonna have an exchange here then. You want something from me? I'm gonna give you something. Yeah, I'm gonna give you the living water. Yeah, that's so good. Um, okay, so I was talking about how I uh came back from Moses like this morning. Those of you that don't know me personally, my husband's grandpa passed away last year and he lived a very full life. Um, he was almost 97 when he passed and um traveled the world twice with his late wife. So amazing. Truly lived a full life. Not just a long life, but truly a full life, and he was so, so loved. So we're we just finished the estate sale, and this is something that we've been prepping for over the last year, and it just like finally picked up with all the things that we had to do with um pricing items, organizing things, cleaning the house. I mean, like this house is massive. Like, and I never went down to the basement ever. I just had no reason to or desire to, but this weekend was the first time I went down into the basement, and the basement is as as large as the whole house span of the house. And then there's also an attic, and everything go every single room is filled.
SPEAKER_00Wow.
SPEAKER_02Packed.
SPEAKER_00Like and think about this when you're home and you want to keep everything.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And you don't need to buy multiples of things, guys. Like, put it down. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, multiples of things, but also like his his um his late wife, who I never got to meet, she was very uh involved in the community and she loved to host and serve in that way. And so even with the like multiple items, like a set of Libby cups, like I don't know how many packs of the same cup, because everything has to match.
SPEAKER_00Like, I wish I could have been there.
SPEAKER_02Girl, honestly, I think you would have had so much fun. Like, so and so like her first husband owned a general store and a pharmacy. So just like the collection of things, so like everything's vintage in that house and everything's an antique because they were all old as heck, you know. Like they were born, her first husband was born in 1914. Oh wow, yeah, and so there were even some books from like the 1800s that we found. Um, we found an old book, uh old book, an old Bible from Sweden. So like the whole Bible was in Swedish, and it was from 18 something.
SPEAKER_00I wonder if like living through the depression had something to do with that. Possibly, because my my great-grandparents were born in uh 1920 and 1922. And well, my great-grandma was not a hoarder, but she was very resourceful with how she used everything. And my great-grandpa just loved stuff, like just kept stuff.
SPEAKER_02So all of the above in this house, very resourceful, loved stuff is a perfect way to put it, like stuff everywhere. Um, but okay, so we finally had the estate sale. If we had sound effects on this podcast, it'd be like cheering, you know, like a stadium. Yeah. Um, but going into this weekend, I just had the desire, like truly deep desire to just be like, God, you know, let me be sensitive to opportunities where we could either share the gospel, pray for someone, just something. You know, let the opportunity be made known because there are plenty of opportunities, guys. There is no lack of that. Opportunities galore, but we're not always privy to them, right? So Friday was insanely busy. People were lining up at the front door before we started at noon, which blew my mind too, because I would never do that. So it's like, you know, you like look at things through the lens of self. Yeah. And I'm like, I would never do that. This is wild.
SPEAKER_00But they waited an hour for an estate so go back to the house.
SPEAKER_02Like they were real, I mean, in small town, they got nothing else to do, apparently. Like people waited an hour. Came out at 11. We started at 12. And we were holding it down like 12 o'clock, 1159. No, we're waiting.
SPEAKER_00Doors locked.
SPEAKER_02Go sit in your car. Um, but there was a guy that was the first in line, and um he caught my eye from that first moment, to be honest, because I'm like, do I need to be on guard? He looked a little like just he stood out.
SPEAKER_00That's that's good. I think that sometimes people we think people are highlighted in a way of like sun rays show up behind them. But I think sometimes God's highlighting people to us in ways like that, like you maybe don't even understand it in the natural. So you're like, do I need to protect myself?
SPEAKER_02That's really good. Because that's really good. The fact that he stood out just because that could be a good thing, that could be a not good thing. And honestly, maybe it's just my nature. If someone stands out, I'm like, I gotta watch out, you know?
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, so he actually was a favorite out of the entire family because it's um Jordan siblings and then their spouses, our nieces and nephews, um, my brother-in-law, my sister-in-law, like just a full house of family, and everyone loved him. I'm just gonna, I'm gonna call him um, I don't know. Paul. Okay, Paul's gonna say Bobby, but I'm like, that's so basic.
SPEAKER_00Bobby.
SPEAKER_02Um, we'll call him Paul. Um, so when Paul came back the second day, and also I will say he had one of his hands like clenched in a fist the whole time. And so I thought he was hiding something because I was also trying to be like worry of people trying to steal things. And I'm like, what does he have in his hand? Like that he so does not want me to see, you know? But it turns out like the whole left side of his body is paralyzed. I shouldn't say that because his legs worked, his like left arm mostly, and maybe part of his other parts of his body. But um, Paul came back the second day and we were open early in the morning to about midday. So Saturday was the last day. He didn't come until after we closed. And so everyone was thinking, like, oh, Paul's definitely gonna be back tomorrow. But like by the time we were closed, I'm like, he didn't come back. And so when he did come almost an hour after we closed shop, basically, he comes through and we're like, Paul, you know, like a couple of us have like our arms out and like we're just so happy to hear him. He probably thinks we're crazy. But as soon as he came back on that second day, I'm like, that's the guy. That's who God wants me to pray for. Because when the first day was finished, at the end of the day, I'm like, man, I didn't, I prayed for like God give me an opportunity to share the gospel. And I was so caught up in doing like my job. I I didn't think about it all day Friday, hardly.
SPEAKER_00Wow, you know?
SPEAKER_02And so I'm like, Lord, sorry, I need to slow down. Yeah. And so here comes Paul and I start asking him a bunch of questions, just kind of small talk, um, which I really hate small talk, but if I have an agenda, I will small talk you. And so I'm talking to him and I'm like, this is such an eclectic like collection of things. I'm I'm so curious what you're gonna do with it. Like, do you collect the antiques? And so he's telling me that he's getting a lot of things for his sisters. And I'm like, oh, how many siblings do you have? He's like, I have five sisters. I'm like, okay, wow, what number are you? And he's like, Well, I actually have 11 siblings. I'm like, okay, so you're he's number six, he's right in the middle. And so um a lot of times people from large families, like they're either maybe Catholic, maybe Mormon, something along that, you know. So I asked him, I'm like, are you Catholic? Are you Christian? What do you believe in? And he told me he was Christian. And then he goes on to say, um, I could be getting some of these details out of order, but he goes on to say that he's grateful that he has a second life. Because one of the things that he bought was like a little picture that has a prayer on it. I'm like, second life, that's like a weird thing to say as a Christian. I'm like, do you believe? Like, is this like kind of like synchret synchronism where you're um syncretism, where you believe in pieces of the truth and you sprinkle lies into it? I'm like, do you believe in reincarnation? I'm thinking these thoughts. So I'm now I'm like trying to uncover why he said that. I'm like, what do you mean this is your second life? And he told me that he had a stroke a year and a half ago. And guys, I wish you were there because the way that he was navigating and just seemed unbothered with his arm being how it is, because he wasn't trying to hide it either. You would think that he was like that for the majority of his life. And so I was really shocked when he told me that um he's only had that for a year and a half. Because when he told me he had a stroke, I asked him, I was like, Oh, is that why? Is that what happened to your arm? Like, I it's another thing too when people have a disability, yeah, for you to not act like you just don't see it when you see it. You know, it's like walking by people acting like you don't see them because you're uncomfortable. Yes. Sometimes people need to feel seen, even those other things. And so, like, I didn't want him to feel like I was being worried about his disability or that I'm just gonna like act like I don't see it when clearly everyone sees it. And so just to speak freely about what's going on. Um, and so then he goes on to tell me, like, that's what happened, that's why he can't use his arm. I'm like, gosh, a year that is like that's so recent. And so he bought so many things, and I told him, like, okay, well, like I'll walk with you to your um to your car to help you load up. But even before he was checking out, I I told Jordan, my husband, I'm like, hey, um, Paul, remember Paul? I want to pray for him. And just Paul being a guy, I wanted to make sure that I brought like another man with me. I didn't want some people might feel differently about this, but like anytime I'm praying one-on-one, if I'm with another woman, cool. If it's one-on-one and I'm praying for a guy, I would like to have another guy with me.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, I think that's just wisdom. And so I pulled my husband aside, and of course, like he was um like equally had the desire to want to pray together. So um he's Paul starts opening up and he's just sharing a little bit more about his life. And I will save you guys some of the details, but even the day before, I'm like, okay, he's either like maybe a hoarder or something's going on, but you could tell.
SPEAKER_00Why is this man buying so many things from an estate?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and even he just, I mean, and I don't say this in like a judgmental or superficial way, but like he was very unkept. Like he looked like he hasn't brushed his hair all week. Like he just woke up, rolled out of bed. Like, yeah, I don't know, but I look at his van and it really looks like he's living at his van, out of his van, but I know he's not broke because he just dropped a few hundred dollars in one transaction and a couple hundred the day before.
SPEAKER_00Interesting.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, made multiple trips, but it was such a blessing. So we prayed for him and we asked him, like, what specific things can we pray for? So he mentioned some things with his family. Um, but at the end of it, I want to like tie it up by saying he said, so he's Christian. He at one at one point was a part of a church community that he had since left. But he said, No one has ever prayed for me. And he's probably in his 50s. That is so wild to me. Anytime anyone says that, and he's not the first person that I've heard that from, but he's like, No one has ever prayed for me. Thank you so much. And just like he was so I could, I'm like, thank you, Jesus. Like, and I had to tell mom, like, out of all the like really hundreds of people that I had interacted with over the last two days, I'm like, Paul, you're the only person I prayed with. And I asked God to show me who can I pray for, and he really highlighted you, and just to let you know that, like whatever's going on, clearly God sees you.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's really good.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and he has you on his mind. That that because it really, it truly, and I didn't say that to be like fluffy at all, but like truly, God highlighted you, and I I want you to know that, yeah, like for some reason it was you, and even when I said that, he was like, really? Oh, yeah, yeah. I really want to see his real name because I his real name's cool. But um, and also the cool thing too. So on the first day, because he was the first guy in line, my sister-in-law, um, Paul was talking to her, and my sister-in-law was explaining that Grandpa Richard lived uh she probably said full life too, but she said a long life, and what he said was um, he's like, a a long life doesn't really matter though. And I'm paraphrasing it, but my sister was like, You're right. In the span of eternity, it it doesn't matter, but also like what does it matter if you lived a long life and you weren't saved? That is meaningless, yeah. So these I mean, if you think about it, life really starts the day that you're saved. That's yeah. So in the natural, if you live to be a hundred, what does it matter? A long life doesn't mean anything. Did you live a full life enriched with God's goodness and faithfulness and mercy?
SPEAKER_00Life that God intended for you on the earth, right?
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_00Right. Because that's those are totally two different things, right? You trying to do it all yourself.
SPEAKER_02To live the life that God intended for you. Did that happen? That's what matters, not how many years you lived. Although that is all God's goodness and mercy. Every breath in our, you know, every single day we have breath in our lungs. But when he had said that to her, she's like, she, you know, did like a little head nod and was like, yep.
SPEAKER_00I there is something to be said too that the whole family had kind of like a soft spot for him. Yeah. Like he was really highlighted, probably, you know, more than what there's just something there that I think that that was intentional from the Lord that and this is what's beautiful.
SPEAKER_02So we're talking about these little pockets in our day where we truly have opportunities to speak the name of Jesus, to share the good news, to be the light, even in how we walk and operate, or even to pray for people. Um, that each member of the body has a role in all of it. So, to your point, like in our family, everyone noticed him or had some kind of an interaction with him. Like my sister-in-law, like, she's so loving, she's so kind, like she's such just a light that he probably felt that and that probably made him feel good. And my brother-in-law being the way that he is, my husband being the way that he is, my nieces and nephews are also like just as beautiful how they are. But how we all had a part to play. And not to say that any role is um more significant than the other, it's actually all needed for the body to be whole and working in unity, but for also someone to step out and be like, we want to pray for you now. And so I feel like it was just a culmination of different things that led to that moment. And I know that he um he was probably so encouraged. And I just pray that like whatever life that he's living, that something shifted because of the Holy Spirit and what the Holy Spirit did in that day for him. I really pray that something shifted for him.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I'll keep praying for Paul for these like experiences too. It reminds me of um as you were talking about the uh this other verse in Matthew again, um, chapter 25, verse 40 is um I'll start in, let's see, verse 37. Then the righteous will answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you drink? And when did and when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39. And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? 40. And the king will answer them, Truly I say to you, as you did did it to one of the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me. And thank you for reading that. That is so good. Yeah, the what you do for the least of these, you do for me, you do for the Lord, you do for Jesus. And I think when you think least, like the least of these, it feels like only certain kinds of like lowly people, you know, maybe people who are in need, and yes, 100%, but people can be very wealthy and be really in need, also. So those are I think it's all encompassing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And thinking about it in the way of like what you do for the least of these, you do for Jesus, and not like I'm doing this in Jesus' name, and you are doing it in Jesus' name, but also it is like you are directly doing it for him. Yeah, we're image bearers, yeah. Like as if he walked into that estate sale and you noticed him and you thought, hey, can I pray for you?
SPEAKER_02You know, not that we need to pray for Jesus, but least of these in like in the spirit, like porn spirit, even, you know, like the least of these of like those who are maybe just needing encouragement in the spirit or newly saved or not saved, like you know, any way you want to like paint it. But I do think you're right in that way. Like, what does it even look like for someone to be what this is least or even needy? Yeah, because what is it to like it says to gain the world but lose your soul?
SPEAKER_00I think we are all every every person. We're all we're all the least of these, and we're all needy, yeah.
SPEAKER_02All of us, yeah, yeah. And blessed that's why it says, right in the Beatrice, like blessed are the poor in spirit, the poor in spirit being the ones that realize that we are the least of these, we are the ones that desperately need Jesus. Like, those are the ones that will be blessed because you acknowledge that, like, we can't do it without him. So truly, like, we can't do it without Jesus, we can't do it without our helper, the advocate, but also like we need each other, we need the body of Christ. Um, in the way that like with our interactions and just our dynamic, like in the way that we bounce off of each other, like we need each role, we need each member so that we can build each other up in love. So yeah, it was. I oh, we did actually exchange contact information.
SPEAKER_00Oh, that's great.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I don't know if he will reach out or like even like what that would be. I was a little reluctant if I'm being honest, to like give a phone number out. So I gave my husband's phone number out instead, which is I mean I think that's good.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, or if he ever comes up on the side to like come to church. But I think it's important too, like when we pray for one another, whether it's a stranger or a friend, um, to point each other to scripture and to point each other to be like, you also pray. And so we're telling him, like, okay, well, on your drive back home, pray, pray out loud. Wrote down like a verse, like, hey, do you have a Bible? This house had so many Bibles, by the way. Like, I'm like, Do you have a Bible? We can give you a Bible. And he said that he did, which I kind of wish I gave him one anyway, because I don't know if he actually did.
SPEAKER_00The dollar store. Here's a fun fact the dollar store has Bibles for a dollar. What? Yes, that's cool. I know, and I told Frankie this, and I'm like, we need to go stock up. We haven't. Amazing. But hey, that's really good to know. I think it I'm think it may be only the New Testament, so it's not a complete Bible. But yeah, for a dollar, yeah. You start in the gospels anyway. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Some of you guys don't ever make it to the snow. Just kidding. Yeah, but I mean, okay, so kind of to recap and tie everything together, there will be moments where people will reject what you say. Literally run away from you. Run away. And in those cases, like it says in Matthew 10, dust off your feet. And in the way that you think, what does it look like when you dust off your feet? Like, it's not a super aggressive um motion. It's a very like cool, dust it off, like dust your shoulder off, dust it off, on to the next, you know, and then there's times when like, yes, people will receive it and um you will have opportunities to kind of go deeper, but do both, you know, and then yeah, dust your feet off. Don't be discouraged. You will get rejected. In fact, it says again in Matthew 10, you'll be persecuted, you'll be flopped. Just saying that's what it says in Matthew 10. We take it that'll happen. Yeah. Kings and governors. Um, what a cool, I think, a perfect kind of juxtaposition of both of our stories. Yeah. This what this looks like.
SPEAKER_00It made me want to go talk to more people.
SPEAKER_02Me too.
SPEAKER_00I'm I don't even care if you think I'm trying to force things on you. You know what? That's the thing too.
SPEAKER_02I'm like, be out on the street. Like I said, like that doesn't mean you have to be out on the street. There's I you and I have talked before. I really want to. If you guys are listening and you want to hop on this train, I really want to set up camp somewhere and just have a sign that says, How can we pray for you?
SPEAKER_00Like a lemonade stand, but it's free prayers.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. How cool.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I can't wait. I want to do that so badly. I want to pray and I want to tell people about Jesus all the time. And not because I get like anything better, but because you get something better. Because it is so it is the best thing, and I just want everybody to experience it. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And it really isn't like um this is the enemy, right? Trying to be like, oh, you just want to do this. Kind of like when you shared your salvation testimony of even getting baptized, you know, how the enemy tried to be like, oh, you just want to be noticed in this way when you get baptized. No, even stuff like this, we're not doing this. Honestly, this is so I said I didn't think about it Friday. I did have moments Friday because I did have, or maybe it was Saturday, had moments where I'm like, oh, is this the person I need to pray for? Because I almost felt like it was like an obligation. Like I told you, Lord, I would pray for somebody or share the gospel. I haven't done it yet. And so I'm like, okay, let me just do it now to check that box. And there were like a couple ladies that I wanted to do it for that were super sweet, but I didn't feel that pull in my spirit.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And so I didn't. And so I was gonna end the day with just not doing it with anyone. And I'm so glad that it was Paul.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02But um, what was I saying before that? Oh, yeah, not doing it for show. So we're not doing it to be like, look at me. We're not even sharing this to be like, oh, look at this thing that we did and how bold we are. No, that's stupid. Like saying it because we understand at least as much as I can, the the weight of eternity, and we want to make heaven crowded yeah, yeah, more than anything.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, above all, because there is nothing better I can do for somebody.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, more than a magazine subscription. Yeah, like let me give you the good news. You need this more than a few dollars.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. Some you are in a an uh uh affluent neighborhood in Seattle. Some people are gonna feel bad for you, but how interesting though.
SPEAKER_02It's like, okay, I do this to support my daughter. Like, is your daughter saved? Yeah. How are you trying to support your daughter?
SPEAKER_00I did ask him. I think I asked him if he talks about talks to his daughter about it.
SPEAKER_02How long did you talk to him?
SPEAKER_00Like, covered a lot of ground. I tried to keep him as long as possible. When I say this man ran away, he ran away. Like upset over this. He just kept staring at me funny, too. And I'm like, you're you came here. And I'm trying to give you what you came here for, but I'm gonna give you something better.
SPEAKER_02You know what though? What a clever way. Not to say we're trying to trap people into this conversation, but what a clever way to do it because they can't be rude to you per se. They could, but less likely to because they're representing a company.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Also, like I really think this idea came to me like from the Holy Spirit gave this to me. Like I didn't come up with it myself that like solicitors get to hear about Jesus. But um you're yeah, you're coming. I didn't invite you here. And the people I do invite here, I tell them about Jesus. So the people who aren't invited gotta hear the same thing. It's part of it's part about coming into into because it wasn't even my house, so I can't even say my house. It's part of Coming into my space. Yeah. You asked me to open the door though. Yeah. Yeah. All right, all right. I'll um we can end. I'll wrap us up. Okay, cool. Would you whose turn is it to pray? You can pray. Okay. Oh, Lord Jesus, thank you. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Father, for these opportunities that you've given Kimberly and I recently, Father. Thank you for just being so good to us that that we may even feel the excitement of what it is to bless somebody with sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with them. Lord, we thank you for the way that it blesses us. We thank you for the people that you've highlighted to us, Father. I pray that you continue to highlight people for both of us. I pray that everybody who listens also gets praise the same prayer, Father, that they're praying for opportunities to be vessels for your Holy Spirit, Father, to bless others. And I pray and um in the name of Jesus, speak against anything that keeps them bound by fear in a way to not speak your name in public, Father. I just I pray in the name of Jesus that they won't feel like they don't know enough. Yes, that they won't feel like they don't have the answers to questions, that they won't feel nervous to even pray prayers in public, Father. I pray that you give them all just supernatural wisdom from the Holy Spirit and you give them supernatural courage from your Holy Spirit also, Father. I pray for the the gentlemen that um Kimberly and I um got to um speak with this week, Lord. I pray that you bless them and their families, that even though we don't know what's going on and going through their their heads or in their lives right now, Father, you do. You know, and I pray that that they come back to you and that they seek you above all else, and that they know that your name is the only name that has any power to it, Father, that Jesus Christ is Lord and is coming back, and that they understand what eternity is and that they carry that with them every day, Father. Thank you for your goodness, thank you for your faithfulness, Lord. Thank you for who you are and the way that you continue to love and bless us with steadfast love that endures forever. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Beautiful.