Witnessing

I was 17 years old as I waited around after morning service at church with the youth group kids. We had been studying the bible in how to witness to the unsaved world. I always loved Sundays, once my family finally found a home church where we could make friends and stay connected. I didn't leave my high school Sunday school class right after graduating. I thought the adult class was boring and slow. I went only once and knew I should stay among my friends a bit longer. Our youth group leader was a dynamic, out going and humorous teacher. He had been teaching us the witnessing steps of the "Roman's road" and how to be bold when knocking on a stranger's door to save the lost soul. I waited along side my friends as our teacher announced how the teams would be broken up. "I paired you guys off with one shy person and one outgoing person." He explained. I was happy to join my friend Leah the sister of my Beloved friend Rebekah, so in many ways I thought of her as my sister too. "I wonder which one of us is shy or outgoing?" I asked her as we walk together down the neighborhood street. "Because I am feeling shy right now." I admitted. She giggled and held her bible up to her chest and we knocked on the first door. A nice elderly woman answered saying she was episcopalian then quickly closed the door. I began again at the second door to a lady with a baby on her hip, "Hi, we are from the church around the corner and would like to tell you that you are always welcome to join us. We teach that Jesus..." She interrupted me saying "I need to change his diaper." then door closed. Leah and I walked to 4 houses before I began to notice the more questionable yards and houses all the way down the street. I began to feel uneasy and just not safe, but I joked with Leah that no one likes their Sunday afternoon interrupted. It was Leah who noticed the Beware of dog sign as she called out to me "Hey watch out they have a dog!" she was a few steps behind me as I knocked on the broken frame door. The deep angry barking from the dog on the other side made me fly back in alarm. Then I raced back out to the sidewalk where Leah was laughing. my eyes were wide as I said "They should put that sign on the actual door!" The last door we knocked on had a fat hairy no shirt man sitting in a lazy boy chair. He yelled at his wife who had answered "Tell them to go away." I began to stamper over the stinky smell that came from inside the messy home. Leah took over calmly visiting with the tooth less lady as I back away by the heavy odor. The fat guy kept yelling though he was only a few steps away from the door. We ran to the sidewalk giggling at the crazy people we had encountered. "Well I think that is it for the day." I announced as we were only half way up the street. Leah looked up to where we were told to cover. "Well, I am not sure this counts...." She wanted to retreat back to church just as much as I did. I wave one hand out to all those falling apart houses and explained "If a person doesn't care about their front yard then chances are they will not like us coming up to their front door either."  I thought for a moment  "So let's go back!" I smiled She nodded taking my arm as we walked together relieved to be done with our witnessing assignment. "I wish they had sent a boy with us to keep us safe..." She smiled at me when I winked at her saying "A tall young man no doubt..But really if you think about it I kept us safe! I think that last house was way to intense for me! So no more,  it could just keep getting worse." Once back inside our church I  threw my hands up in the air "We are safe once again!" then she and I ran all over the church with on one around for a whole other hour. Leah sat with me on the steps of the stage in the auditorium as we rested from running. "Do you ever wonder if you will save someone?" she asked me I waited in thought as she continued "I mean do you think God keeps a score card of how many souls you save for him? I have been really struggling with not knowing anyone I have witnessed and saved?" I chuckled replying "I don't have any one on my score card either IF there is even such a thing....But I do think we sow seeds every where we go in love and in prayers. Maybe we aren't suppose to know how many souls we saved, maybe we just have to be ourselves the best way we can?" She leaned into me saying "It's all so hard to live up to...sometimes." And I agreed thinking once again I was right where God wanted me to be in my life.