I had a lot to study, so I came prepared - headphones in, flashcards prepped, hot coffee at my side. A little while after I had been sitting there, two high school age girls came in, got some coffee, and sat down right in my line of sight. A few minutes later, a boy came in (also about high school age) meandered around for a bit, saw these two girls, and proceeded to talk to them. A few things were obvious from my point of view: they all knew each other, he wanted to talk and be friendly, and the girls did not. The problem is - the boy had no idea that they they were giving every non verbal cue possible to hint at their non-interest in the conversation.
So, as I watched, I began to feel judgment rise up in my heart. Briefly, I sided with the boy, quickly coming to the conclusion that these girls needed to be more welcoming, more friendly, less obvious in their disdain for him. But a curious thing happened, something that I think happened because of the true depth of sin in my heart. I started to resent the boy, too. I started to think, judgmentally and wrongly, that he just needed to give it up. He's awkward, I reasoned. He needs to go spend time with people who are more like him, I thought.
Pretty soon thereafter, the girls made up some excuse to leave and the boy was left there sitting. He seemed to be waiting on someone.
A couple of minutes passed and a guy about my age walked in and let me tell you, this boy's face lit up. It was clear that the person he was expecting had arrived. They got coffee. They sat down (thank you Lord) right in my line of sight. And they began to talk.
After a few prompting questions, the boy starts telling his story - you know, how he got to where he is today. I'll be honest, I love those kind of stories. So, I popped out a headphone to hear it all. I'm glad I did, too, because it truly blessed, challenged, and convicted me.
I heard the story of a boy who, admittedly, struggled with social interactions and finding his place in a high school world where awkward kids don't really "fit" into the social hierarchy. He became depressed to the point of preparing to commit suicide. His only real friend, in an effort to share the Gospel with him, introduced him to a band, Skillet. She thought maybe their songs could have an effect. She was right. There was a song that really struck a chord with him, particularly because it talked about suicide and purpose in life. He'd never heard before that his life could have purpose. Meaning. Hope.
And there I sat, listening to his story of how Jesus found him and pulled him out of the "miry clay." I was pierced to the core at how quick I was to pass judgment earlier. I was convicted as I was reminded of my own story of redemption and how often I don't share it. And I was encouraged as I heard yet another story of how Christ can radically alter a person's life. You see, you cannot truly meet Christ and walk away unchanged.
So I ask you - how judgmental are you of other people? You never know where a person is coming from and the very thing you judge them for could be what God uses to teach a you lesson in humility. I seem to keep learning that the hard way...
Also - how often do you share your story with people you come into contact with? Or better yet, how often do you ask someone to tell their story to you? You never know the impact you could have on someone, whether you lead them to meet Christ for the first time or remind them of when they did.
Our worship pastor said a couple months ago, "The Gospel isn't just for saving folks. It sustains us, too." He's right. There is no greater gift you could give a person than the Truth of the Gospel.
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