We are buried here at work so it surprised me that I actually got off on time yesterday.
A rarity if anything else lately.
As I creeked open the office door to leave, I was greeted by a cold and wet wind. I didn't mind because I was headed to a warm house and my wife and child.
life is good.
I took my usual route through town to avoid all the stop lights on main street. I forgot my harmonica so the radio was on, tuned to a Christian station that I could get a good signal most of the way home. It was kinda rainy, kinda cold, kinda breezy, perfect weather to be a duck or to be inside and inside is exactly where I planned to be in about 40 miles... being that I'm only part duck. I could of seen the sun setting then if it wasn't overcast... and miles to go before I slept.
The road home doesn't curve much, it's just goes over rolling hills. As a crested another I saw him walking on my side of the road. He apparently heard me coming because he turned and started walking backwards. As I got closer the inevitable thumb stuck out.
I breezed past trying hard to make it look like I didn't see him.
It weighed heavy on my heart.
It was cold,
It was wet,
It was breezy...
He didn't look like a duck either.
I chastised myself as I pulled over and put the car into reverse. I felt guilty how far I had to back up to get to him. As he saw me pull off the road, he started jogging to get to me. When got to the door, I was still throwing all the junk in the passenger seat to the back seat. When he sat, I could smell the smell of a guy who had been walking for quite a while.
At least I didn't smell any alcohol or smoke. I also noted that in his jog he was well balanced, and didn't look dizzy.
So far so good.
"I can take you as far as Fort Scott" I tried to sound welcoming.
"Any chance I could convince you to go as far as Kansas City?" he asked.
I just looked at him. Kansas City is about three hours away..."I can pay you, I have some cash on me..." he said.
"Sorry, I'm just headed home."
"That's OK"
Conversation ensued as I wonder why KC. I find out that he lived there. So how did he get so far south? A cousin dropped him off yesterday in some county because he had a court date he couldn't miss. He had to be back at work in KC tomorrow morning.
Says he is in the middle of turning his life around.
Done some really stupid things.
Drugs
Violence
Alcohol
Made bad decisions, his life was all messed up and he was paying for it now.
He said he was done with that life.
Then this small still voice, the same one that made me pull over, asked me if He was apart of this mans turn around. This man needed to know his soul needed turning around too, not just his life.
I really don't like it when it does that.
I'm no good at that stuff.
I don't know what to say or how to say it. What if it sounds condescending? I need words to speak... please? I'll open my mouth if you put words in it, ok?
here goes...
"That's an awesome thing, turning your life around. So where does God fit in to all of that?"
"Well.....I......I just.... need to work out everything first..... then him and I will have a talk....."
and then we talked. For 40 miles we talked.
I dropped him off in town and then headed home.
Enter the enemy.
What was that? You did horrible in trying to reach him you know that?
You drove him away.
His had his mind made up before you came into the picture
You accomplished nothing.
Just think of all the things you could of said if you weren't so shy about spreading the gospel.
As I pulled into the drive, my heart is heavy again. I said my apologies out loud to God as I turned the car off.
I stepped out of the car.
I breathed in the cold damp air from the still open garage door as I stretched my legs.
I turned to watch the drizzle come down and the beautiful still small voice spoke softly again
It said:
Thanks for planting the seed.
I'll take it from here.
