In the winter, the evening comes a bit quicker, and colder, than before. Before and as we go, we pray, asking God for leading, empowerment, words and His love to share with others. The previous week, we connected with a few individuals and a group of teens at a bus stop, one of them named Jaden who shared that he was muslim. Which was interesting to hear, because when we arrived, I had asked if anyone believed in God and if they’ve heard the gospel. All of them said yes. I followed by asking if any one had been changed by the gospel, to which, hesitatingly yet honestly, none of them said yes. I then shared how to do so in a succinct way. in light of New Years Eve, I shared that belief in Jesus’ death on the cross for atonement of sin is what brings relationship with God, and because of God’s love, we can bring Jesus into anything in our lives, including dark areas. I let them know that in 2026, I would challenge them to ‘bring Jesus’ into their stuff, including the really dark stuff that they might be embarrassed to or feel bad about, because God loves them and wants to bring his light and love into those areas. It took less than a minute to share, and I asked if we could pray for anything they wanted to bring God’s light into this next year. They were thoughtful for a moment, one of them asking ‘… you mean anything?’ and I felt like a few may have been close to opening up for prayer. Segun then asked their ages (all around 15), and then shared his own testimony of being a teenager and repenting from worldly influences and making a commitment to Christ. Their bus came, which was when one of them shared he was muslim but appreciated us sharing with him. We thanked them for listening, and the one in the back who seemed thoughtful connected with me by shaking my hand before leaving.
This week, same location, we walked, especially cold out. We walked down and back the storefront sidewalk, and I felt God lead me to ask an individual on a skateboard ‘how is life?’ And he asked ‘it’s going ok, why, does it show?’ And by expressing more interest and letting him know our reason for being out—sharing the Gospel and praying for people—and he shared that he had just gotten out of federal prison and had lost all his relationships. I offered that he must be feeling pretty lonely and that has been making it tough, to which he confirmed, and reiterated that he needed to start getting it together and making good choices. I asked if he wanted to bring Jesus into any of that decision making, and he paused for a moment, repeating the idea, but offered that he felt like he needed to get his act together first and then might consider bringing Jesus into his life before skating on, to which I offered a parting thought that he could bring Jesus in any time. We continued our walk down the storefronts, being unable to connect with a few passerbys, and within 10 minutes on the return trip I connected with a man who surprisingly yet unsurprisingly (with God) had also just happened to get out of federal prison and now back in the area was reflecting on how he too misses his family and hasn’t been connected to his children since they were very young, but was a Christian and, citing the address of Romans 8:28, familiar with and trusting in scripture that God works all things for the good of those who love him, “and are called according to his purpose,” he finished. I shared a bit of my own testimony of the value of praying from afar for me before my salvation before he introduced me to a friend of his, a woman with a young daughter. Samuel, Segun’s 4-year-old son was standing with me, and we engaged a bit and she shared that she was struggling as a mom being homeless but coming back into her daughter’s life and desirous to make it work, having recently been kicked out of a hotel she was staying at and needing a job to be able to afford another place to stay. I connected with her, sharing that I’m a kids pastor and invited them to come on Sunday since they lived close by and they’d see a familiar face, to which she self-reflected that it might be an opportunity to get involved with some good things. We talked some more, the two kids enjoying running up and down the sidewalk, and before leaving gave her my number and were able to pray asking God for strength and provision, as well as for the two children of the man, who prayed with us.
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