“Can I ask you a random question?” the lady said as I got out of the car. My mom walked around the car to where we were standing. “Sure,” we said. “Do you ever have people just walk up to you and ask if they can buy your car?” This lady owned the same kind of car as ours, and it was the same color too. “We have had people call us and leave notes on our front door to find out if we’ll sell our car,” we replied. “Me too! We must have really good cars and people want them,” she said laughing. “I’ve put 280,000 miles on mine, it runs great, and all I’ve ever done is change the oil,” she said. After several minutes of discussing this funny similarity that we shared, our unusual, yet friendly parking lot chat was coming to a close.   

But, before we said goodbye, my mom had one more thing to say. “I don’t know why, but I think I’m supposed to tell you something. I just have it on my heart to say this, so I’ll say it. I’m a Christian. Jesus Christ has changed my life. I met Him when I was 18 and since then, my life has never been the same.” And she shared a little bit more.

I had just been thinking about the randomness of this lady walking up to us, starting the conversation and how this would be the perfect opportunity to say something to her about the Lord. I was thankful that my mom did.

“I’m a spiritualist,” the lady replied as she told us of her studies of world religions and how she had come to the conclusion that there was good in each of them. It was interesting to hear her views, and when she had finished sharing her perspective, my mom told her how she had at one time, also been in a place of searching for the truth. My mom told her that she had come to realize that Jesus was the only One who had ever risen from the dead and that He was seen by many witnesses after He had risen. “Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,’” she quoted, as she gently challenged the idea of all religions being right and that what it takes is us being good…each of us deciding what good is.

My mom reiterated that she had simply felt compelled to share this and so she did. The lady was kind and said that it was very interesting that my mom had said something right then, because of all that she’s been going through. She told us about the health struggles that a family member was experiencing and how hard it had been. After talking more about it and exchanging our names, we asked if we could pray for her loved one and she said she would be grateful. Although we wanted to pray right then, she had ice cream melting in the car, so we said we would pray later. We told her that God loved her and wanted to help her. She said, “Goodbye…and God bless you,” as she got into her car.

We all have our comfort zones. This story happened outside of my mom’s comfort zone, as well as outside of mine. In fact, it was my heart that was pounding as my mom did most of the talking. But, despite this fact, nothing can compare with knowing that God just did something and that He orchestrated the circumstances in such a way that allowed us to be a part of it! God invites each of us to be workers with Him in bringing His Word and His love to those who are lost, confused, and in need of a Savior.

Many of us though feel unqualified, timid, and scared at the thought of such a task. We don’t feel ready to take the risk of stepping outside of our comfort zones. But, we actually take another risk, the risk of missing an opportunity! And the encouraging thing is that God wants to work in us, and even change us. When my mom read Ephesians 6:18-20, she was struck with the thought that even the Apostle Paul prayed for boldness! He knew what it was to be weak, fearful, and trembling (1 Cor. 2:3). As she thought about that she decided to pray for boldness. A few days after she prayed, we talked with the lady in the parking lot and God did give her boldness to speak. I believe that God brought the lady to us and had my mom talk with her, right at a time when she really needed the love of Christ. Maybe God will use that interaction to remind her that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life…and maybe she’ll respond.

Something else that impacted my mom was reading the book, “Will Our Generation Speak?” My personal copy is much more worn than the book pictured here. That’s because it’s very high on my list of favorites and I keep going back to reread it!

It’s inspiring, instructive, and insightful. Grace Mally, age 23 at the time of writing, has tactfully and skillfully written to our generation with a challenge to be bold with the Gospel. Within the pages of her book, Grace gives practical ideas for sharing the Gospel with others and if you read it, it’s likely you will be astonished by the real-life stories that she records. You will see what God can do through one person loving and following Jesus, and how He is working within the hearts of the lost. 

I think this is an AMAZING book and I’m recommending it to you. 🙂  I don’t feel that I can do the book justice from this one post. I am confident though, that you will be blessed by reading this book. It is punctuated with Scripture, providing a fresh reminder of the privilege it is, as children of God, to have the opportunity to impact this world as we declare Jesus, who is so full of grace and truth.

(I think any person of any age would thoroughly enjoy this book! Grace records many of her conversations with non-Christians, so there may be “certain” references made, but nothing more than references.)

Table of Contents
1. Only One Chance to Be Young!
2. The Little Engine That Couldn’t
3. Is Your Perspective Upside Down?
4. Tracts
5. But I’m Scared!
6. Full of Grace and Truth
7. Listen But Lead
8. Keys to Confidence
9. Moving the Hand of God
10. When They Aren’t So Friendly
11. Joy
12. Who? Where? How?
13. Seventeen Ways to Start Conversations
14. If the Foundations are Destroyed
15. How We Know That We Know
16. Start at Home But Aim for the World
17. The Esther 4:14 Principle

“Will Our Generation Speak” can be purchased on amazon, or from the Mally’s website. Grace has also written a study guide to accompany her book (the two books can be purchased together as a package)

-Rebekah