You’re spending an afternoon in the park. You’ve removed all distractions and set aside some time for reading and reflection. You find an empty picnic table and settle in. The weather is just perfect, and the area is neither overrun nor secluded.
You take note of the fact that the Bible you’re studying looks strangely like a three-ring binder filled with study notes and accompanied by a box of colored pencils. And you think to yourself, How cool would it be if someone just walked up and asked what I was studying?
And so you pray a quick prayer – God, send someone to ask me what I’m studying, so that I could tell them about you.
Right. But that would never happen.
An hour later, you notice someone sitting at a bench behind you. Also studying, playing fetch with their dog, and seemingly glancing in your direction. {Not creepy at all.} And you think to yourself, How cool would it be if this person at the park bench just walked up and starting talking to me?
And so you pray a quick prayer – God, send this person over to talk to me.
Two minutes later.
“Hello, how are you?” {No way. It’s the creeper from the park bench. Just walked up and starting talking to me? Really?}
“I’m fine. How are you?”
“I’m great. What are you studying?” {Are you kidding me? You did not just ask me that question.}
So you spend ten minutes talking with a perfect stranger who, come to find out, is not a creeper at all, but has a creepy view of eternity that’s not found in your marked-up “notebook.”
And so you go from Bible to church to Christianity to eternity to the gospel, and you declare to this lost soul, who perhaps has never heard, that there’s more to life than matter and energy, and we don’t simply dissolve into nothing when we die. And actually, the situation is much worse, and the remedy is beyond beautiful. And, as a matter of fact, we don’t even have to die.
Oh, but that would never happen.
Yep. That’s what I thought, too. Until a few Sundays ago when I spent an afternoon in the park.
[image credit: flickr.com]
Journey of the Word 
Love this and believe it. I pray at school when I sub for students to ask something and they almost always do so I can throw just a tidbit in.
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That’s fantastic! Praying God will use you mightily there!
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That is so cool! I love how you were so in tune and aware. Most people wouldn’t pray that or pay attention when it happened.
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Thank you for sharing with us here at Tell me a Story.
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I didn’t pray that at the laundromat once, but at first was annoyed that with all the tables empty a guy, not creepy, joined me at my table noting that I was studying with all my colored pens, notebook and Bible. He moved into my space and my time and then gave me a review of the Book of Ruth which I was opened to. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit restrained me filling me with patience as he taught me. Poor guy just lost his wife. I ended up praying for him. Now I’m happy it happened. Turns out he was a Baptist minister.
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That is such a neat story! It’s amazing what God will do when we are available, not to mention the things he does all around us if we just have eyes to see! Thanks for sharing this!
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How awesome! God is good! Thanks for sharing your story with #SocialButterflySunday! Hope to see you link up again this week 🙂
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I love when the Lord takes our “nevers” and makes them realities! Though much less significant, the other day was a really tough day. I had asked thought to myself multiple times how much I wished I could have Chic Fil A for comfort that night. But, I told the Lord, that can’t happen. It didn’t fit in with everything that was going on…then, I was surprised when someone dropped by with Chic Fil A. Their order had been messed up so they received extra food for free. And passed it on to me! It was a little thing…but that was the Lord answers a little prayer and a big one: my “can’t”s are His “can”s. Thanks for sharing about this today!! #ThoughtProvokingThursday
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Love this story of God’s provision! Thanks for sharing!
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What a lovely story of God’s unexpectedness!
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What a wonderful opportunity. God bless your faithfulness. Thank you for sharing at Together on Tuesdays 🙂
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I have a strange impulse to put my Bible in a three-ring binder… not necessary so it looks like I’m studying, but because it would give me tons of room for notes…
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Right?! It’s the best!
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