Many years ago, I was working as a substitute teacher. One of my favorite classes was a junior high special education class. There was a particular young man by the name of Steven in the class. He was 15 years old but looked more like an 8-year-old. Steven was not able to speak but could only make guttural noises. His eyes seemed foggy, and he lived life in a specially designed wheelchair. His parents could no longer care for him, so he was moved to a foster home. I could tell this affected him. It was the custom to take these students to choir, band, drama, or P.E. in the afternoons. They loved the music, movement, and noise. On one afternoon, it was my turn to take Steven to drama. He was always quiet in the past, but this afternoon he was very agitated and making quite a bit of noise. I had no choice but to take him out of the auditorium.

I was pushing him down the hall when I had the thought, why not share the gospel with him. I knew that being in a public school, this would be frowned upon. I quickly looked up and down the hall, saw no one, and knelt down beside him. I told him what Christ had done for him on the cross. I explained sin and how it separated us from God. I told him how much God loved him. I wasn't prepared for his response. He sat up and nodded his head. There seemed to be a clear understanding in his eyes. He slipped back down into his chair, and his eyes looked foggy again, and I wheeled him back to the classroom. Several weeks later, I had to quit work to tend to my own family as Ben was headed to Iraq. One afternoon I got a call from the teacher's aide in Steven's room. Through tears, she shared that Steven had died suddenly in the classroom that day.

I now knew where that thought had come from to share the Gospel with Steven. The Lord had nudged me! I think about Steven from time to time. His limbs are now straight, his eyes are filled with joy and peace as he is in the presence of the Lord.

That experience always reminds me to not waste an opportunity to share the gospel. Now more than ever, we need to seize the moment to share the only real hope there is. Our world is careening at an ever-faster pace toward depravity. The enemy will stop at nothing to hamper the gospel. He uses division, distraction, confusion, and complacency. The good news is that God has a plan to save sinners. We saw in John 11:49-51 how Caiaphas, the high priest, unwittingly shared the gospel. The irony of using an unbeliever to share the gospel should not be lost on us. How much more should we as believers pray for opportunities to share the hope of the cross. God does work in mysterious ways, and He longs to use us.

Have you seen the foggy, hurting eyes of people around you? Self-preservation, fear, and busyness can keep us up on the fence, safe in our own little corner. Jesus never played it safe, and neither should we. Who has crossed your path, your thoughts, your prayers? His gentle nudging is our opportunity to share the gospel with that neighbor, coworker, family member, or stranger. Faith and obedience are a matter of the will. Let's use this responsibility to clear the heart and eyes of the lost in 2021!