We know the small handful who are totally resistant to believing in Jesus -- they are far away in a land where they don't believe in anything and don't want to talk about it. Yet every time they come downtown, usually with their friend who brought them there, they watch and listen while we disciple their friend. They hear the powerful stories of what God is doing for the person they thought they were only casually hanging out with. The ways of God tickle us to no end!
Almost every kid we know cares and respects what we have to say about God and takes it to heart. This is a wide-open field, and few institutions are filling that need for disciplemaking.
"Z"
Backstory: Just had a birthday; 29. We met Z about 3-4 years ago as a buddy of D's. He got to know us while D was applying to Meduri Farms in Dallas. Not a believer in any God. Back then he said he was really impressed that we cared so far for D. After a few weeks he surprised us, "You know, I ended up going to your church service last Sunday, because I liked what you guys are doing." (Many of them expect accolade from us when they declare they went to church.) We told him that's great that he went to church, but going to church isn't really the goal as much as it is being known and knowing others when you're there, and growing closer to God regardless of where you hang out. He lived at the UGM for several months. I was impressed with him: he held a job in warehousing at Home Depot. He rode his skateboard out to Kuebler Rd. every morning at 3 A.M. And he was building his income so he could afford an apartment. He talked much about his ex wife and son, who he missed terribly. It was because of addiction that he lost those relationships, so now he was sober even while at the UGM. After many months around us he acknowledged that sin is real and that he has committed them and suffered with guilt over them. He emphasized the guilt so we continually pointed him back to the cross and gave him the assurance only Jesus's shed blood can provide. He was taking it in. "I know you're not a believer, Z, but Jesus died and shed His blood just so you could know - the spirit that He gives you is the Shame-Taking Spirit. He wants you to be free from shame, and the way that happens is you leave your sins at the foot of the cross and believe what He says; you are now His child. I hope that that makes sense to you right now and brings you comfort!"
But he got that apartment and disappeared after this, for awhile. Then he came back recently, dating a new girl who physically abused him in the doorway of the coffee shop as we watched. I shared the gospel out front with this gal, and after I listened to her and recommended she move on, I went back in to Z and said, "let's get your restraining order today," and Bruce went with him to make sure it got done. Z couldn't stay away from her, and occasionally he was on drugs and homeless again. Two months ago, he asked me to drive him to his grandpa's house. Z asked, "Would you wait here? I am going to ask him if I can stay with him for a couple of days, so I can hide from [my ex-girlfriend]." He came out - grandpa said no. He got in the car and began to cry, and didn't know where to go next. He said he has been sleeping for two weeks under the dining room table at his mom's house, who also uses drugs and has a boyfriend who doesn't like him. He felt hopeless. I said, "You, sleeping underneath a table, is so sad, doesn't that make you interpret your self worth? It must, so let me tell you: you cannot listen to your circumstances or look to [your ex] for significance. God has come to declare your worth: His Son died on the cross for you. For your sins, which you say you regret, and even for broken relationships and issues you can't seem to press through in life. So when someone in this world offers you something crappy, no one is going to be there to remind you like I am telling you now: you must choose what you will listen to. Either God, who paid the ultimate price for you and doesn't judge you for where you're at, who set your worth by giving His own Son, or, these things around you. And you just declare to the world out loud what Jesus has done for you, because there is power in it! When we have these "groundhog days" - you know, like the movie where you wake up and nothing gets better? God lets us have these so that we will turn to Him for abundant life. He holds it for you. You MUST turn to Him to find it. It works the same way for me and everyone else." He calmed down and received some sense of security. I watched him leave the car. "Whose set your value, Z?" I asked him before he left. He said, "I know." I promised myself next time I saw him I was going to invite him to trust Christ. Unfortunately, he was in jail for two months.
This month: Z got out of jail and called us the next day. Talking a mile a minute, so determined to do well. I said, "You know what, Z? I believe you! I believe you can do it, because I know you and how much follow-through you have. There is only one thing I think that could be even better than watching you set goals and accomplish them. Do you want to know what that is? It's to lay these things before God and rely on His strength to carry out right things for you. He has even better consistency and his burdens are light. That's the only way you can do better, and I believe in you. You can do this!" Z apologized to Bruce and Janet and I about letting us down. I said, "We just want to support you Z, so call us." I asked him to read Matthew 6:25-26 and he said he would. I feel he is close to salvation! In fact, I would be surprised if when I ask him to accept Christ, He would not testify that he already has! He did mention also he had news to share with me "about God" but I forgot to ask.
We call these "snapshots" of the last 6 weeks, because that's true - we can think of another time this month where another believer "W" - (whose story is in the discipleship post), brought "R" (another R-named person) and "C" - two young adults, both unresponsive unbelievers, who sat and listened to stories of miracles and glorifying of what God has done in the life of W. This is the same pattern in which Z has come to be discipled by us after being brought around by "D."
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