Our team spent a week in a community just outside of Boston running a sports camp for children with a partner church. One of those children at the camp, Abraham, was a fourth grader who had almost no experience with sports, but he was a thoughtful and quiet learner. In our devotion times, he sat up at attention and made solid eye contact through all our lessons about loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. On the fourth day of the camp, I was able shared the gospel through the three circles approach in a chalk talk on the blacktop. As I drew the final circle, the gospel circle, his face grew concerned. I shared about how we need to repent of the wrong things we have done and believe that Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead. We repent (walking a new and better path) and we believe (saying “yes” in our heart to God’s truth). I invited the kids to pray and say “yes” in their hearts to God’s gift of Jesus.
Abraham did not raise his hand or indicate that he wanted to respond to the invitation, but right afterward, with great concern on his face, he flagged me down. He said he wasn’t sure if he should pray because he thought he did believe already. He was caught in his doubts. I told him that God’s love was bigger that his doubt, and he could be confident that God has done what it takes to save him by giving His best gift: Jesus. I told him to keep his confidence in God, that He is strong enough to help him say “yes” in his heart and strong enough to hold on to him and not let him go. After we prayed, Abraham’s faced beamed a confident smile.
The experience of this trip got my motor started again for sharing Jesus with the people I know. My wife and I are talking more often now about how we can use our life circumstances make Jesus known and build our relationships around the gospel. I’m grateful to Jesus for the reminder through this trip to Boston of the high calling my family and I have to invite others into relationship with Jesus.
