Rebekah Blocher

I got an amazing email this week from a woman who shared how a compliment on her necklace led to an opportunity to share the gospel with a stranger. It is evidence that God can use the tiniest little thing to open a door if we are willing to be obedient and "make the most" of the opportunity.

Here is her story...


How God used this necklace! On a short little roadtrip, I had stopped at a gas station in Alabama for some water bottles and candy for my kiddos. I quickly got what I needed and got back in my van and realized I had completely forgotten to buy water bottles. I had all the candy we needed for the short hour and half ride home to Springville, yet I was so absent minded to forget our water! Aggravated with myself, I went back in the gas station and purchased the water. The attendant was a sweet Indian lady with the signature mark on her forehead. She saw my necklace and commented on how pretty it was. She asked me if it was a symbol for something. I proceeded to take the necklace off and show it to her up close. "Ah it's a flower!" She said. I turned it over and showed her the Bible verse on the back Lamentations 3:22,23

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
²³ they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

I asked her if she was familiar with the Bible. She wasn't. I asked her if she practiced any type of faith and she informed me she was Hindu. She said she goes to a Hindu temple. I asked her if she had heard of Jesus Christ. She had not.
She had not!
In Alabama. Bible Belt central. She had not heard of Jesus Christ. Our merciful Father had opened a door for me to share the Gospel with this precious lady. There was someone in line behind me but I could not NOT share the good news of Jesus Christ with her! It is only by the grace of God that I can share this Gospel. I told her about sin and Jesus and the cross and His resurrection and Heaven and how we can do nothing to earn grace. So not only did she hear the Gospel, but so did the person behind me. :) I asked her name and told her I would pray for her. I got back in my van and told the kiddos we had to make one more stop. I found a store where I could purchase a copy of the Word of God for her to have. I drove back to the gas station, walked in and gave her the Bible, and showed her the book of John. I told her that was a good place to start reading, and she wrote it down on a sticky note and stuck it in the Bible. I learned that day that the fields around us are plenty and that we must be attentive to planting Gospel seeds. God used my forgetting to buy water and turned it around to bring the Living Water to a lost soul. All glory to Him. He used a necklace I purchased months ago for a sweet friends adoption fundraiser, and used it for so much more...to plant Gospel adoption seeds in a lost soul. My finite mind can only see a small bit of a much bigger picture that God is orchestrating in every detail of our lives!!!

This encouraged me and challenged me so much. I want to be this bold! 
Boldness, risk, and fearless faith have been themes in my Bible studies lately. How many opportunities have I missed because of fear? God is always working around us. HE prepares hearts. HE draws people to him. The Bible says no one comes to God unless HE DRAWS THEM (John 6:44) He does the work. All I have to do is be available, aware, and obedient. The Life-changing Bible study Experiencing God (Blackaby) points out that God is always at work around us. When someone ask us about God or about our faith, it is because God has already started something in their hearts. He is drawing them. In those situations we should drop everything and respond. Blackaby goes on to say that by showing us where he is already at work, God is inviting us to be involved and be used by Him. It's like a flashing neon sign that says "Start here".


So why am I not more bold? 

Idolatry. I, like many people, worship the approval of others. I thought about how I might have handled the same situation. In that gas station with the Hindu woman, I probably would have worried about making the guy behind me wait, or seeming pushy, or doing a bad job of presenting the gospel, or just making a scene. I may have given her my necklace and hoped she would google the verse when she got home but I probably would not have taken the time time to dig deeper, ask questions, and risk embarrassment. I probably would have missed the opportunity. Thank you God for drawing this to my attention...again.

Continuing to pray for boldness and opportunities.

P.S. When I asked if I could share this story, the sweet author of the email replied "yes, you are welcome to share this testimony wherever you would like, but please leave out my name so all glory will go to GOD for it is due Him!!

Glory to God!