What is the one thing that most all little kids learn at a very early age before going out in public?
…Look both ways when crossing the street…and DO NOT TALK TO STRANGERS!
Well, on the June 2013 trip to New Orleans we encourage the students to follow the exact opposite. Of course, we did make sure they looked both ways when crossing the street, but we encouraged them to talk to any and all strangers that they came in contact with. Talking to strangers for the youth group from Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church out of Houston was a stretch at first, but by the end of the week, they had embraced the true sense of evangelism and relational outreach
For this group of 109, we split them into smaller groups and spread them out all over the city. Some were painting and sorting clothes. Some were doing VBS clubs. Some were prayer-walking. But all groups at some point in the week, got on the street trollies and had meaningful conversations with people and/or walked the riverfront and handed out bottled water while offering the Living Water. It was an amazing experience that impacted everyone in some way.
One story in particular involved the handing out of bottle water. The very first day of the trip, the “Blue” group found themselves on a hot afternoon on the riverfront with water in hand and only one instruction: give the water to someone and talk to them.
A couple of the 15-year-old girls in the group were naturally a bit reluctant about just walking around and handing out water. Naturally, they were very nervous and did not know what to do or how to have a meaningful conversation with a stranger. So, my wife, Becca, pulled the girls aside and encouraged them to simply pray and ask God who they should give the water to.
One of the girls said a simple prayer asking God to show them who to talk to. As soon as she said, “Amen,” they turned to walk down the sidewalk, and to their immediate surprise there was a woman, whom they almost ran into. So, of course, one of the girls extended a water bottle and asked if she would like some water.
Before taking the water, she said, “It’s not really about the water, is it?”
The girls replied, “Well, we wanted to just give you some water for your day.”
The lady pressed in with further skepticism and asked, “What’s this really about?”
The girls then explained to her that they were there with a church group, and that they believed that God wanted them to give her the water and offer to pray for her if she had any need.
The lady nearly began to cry and began to explain that just 30 seconds before she was in the bathroom praying, what she expected to be her last prayer, and told God that He would have to show her that He still cares, because she was dealing with some tough issues and ready to give up on God's help.
God sent Living Water to her almost immediately.
The girls said that after praying for her, the lady had an entire new presence about her. She clearly understood that God was not done with her, and that He heard her.
It is amazing to think that God uses in these ways.
The 15-year-old girls were scared to walk up to a stranger and start talking, but they realized this is what God wanted. They realized that God can use us in great ways even for people we call “strangers.”
Why SHOULD you talk to strangers?
…You never know how God might use you to be His voice, His love, His care, His answer.
