I Am Fascinated By Human Interaction
On last Friday, after working out at the gym, I was in the locker room preparing my post work-out drink, precisely measuring out the powder and mixing the right amount of water. As I was getting ready to shake the protein-mix, an older guy came up to me, fairly close, who seemed to me to be both smiling and angry at the same time and said, "It's time for you to ask for forgiveness."
He went on, "I can tell you are at the point in your life where it's time for you to be saved." I asked meekly, "What do you mean?" He seemed exasperated. He told me he is 55 years old and knows he is not going to live forever. He insisted, "You won't live forever either; no one will." I didn't respond and tried to look away, but he seemed to have a way to catch my gaze and instead I looked straight at his right front grey ill-formed tooth. He told me, "you need to accept Jesus into your heart. Jesus wants you to do that; he cares about you." I asked him, "Me?" He nodded confidently and said, "yes." I inquired, "What about everyone else?" He seemed annoyed and amended himself, "yes, everyone including you." He said, he feels Jesus here with us right now and we both have to accept that the Holy Spirit is choosing to work through him for me. Otherwise, he never would have said anything. He continued, "We don't know each other; I've never seen you before, and for all we know we will never see each other again. This is an important moment." He started to preach, "Jesus died for your sins and all you have to do is accept him and open up your heart to him and all your sins will be forgiven and you will be saved. You can't keep waiting and you can't continue to hide." Truthfully, I wondered if I was still in reality. It felt like an after-school religious movie especially when he said, "Allowing the holy spirit into your life is amazing" and he blew at my chest. "That's what it will feel like. It will blow into you and your life will be forever changed." I felt contaminated and asked, "forever?" "Yes, forever," he confirmed. It's what God wants for you, but you have to make that choice." "It's what God wants for me... or for everyone," I wanted to know. "For everyone," he assured me, but right now, in this moment, for you." I said I would need to think about this. He reminded me again, this is not something he ordinarily does, but the Holy Spirit is using him to reach me. "Thank you," I said with sincere intention. He stared at me and asked me what time it was. I looked at the clock on the wall over his head and said, "8:15" (pm). He said he had to go. He was still smiling, but he also still seemed angry to me. As he started to raise his cap to his head, he pointed to the biblical passage woven into the visor, John 1:8. "Read it," he insisted. I said I would and thanked him. He repeated, "I have to go." He placed his hand on my shoulder below the tank top shoulder strap. I was taken aback by the callused feel of his hand against my still slightly sweaty skin from my work-out, but I did not move or attempt to release his hand. He broke into a prayer asking for the Holy Spirit to fill me with courage to use my free will to ask for forgiveness and salvation. His eyes were closed and he seemed intentional with the words he used. After he finished, I added, "Amen." He seemed satisfied as he turned and walked away and out.
I washed the area on my shoulder where he had placed his hand. I have been thinking about this encounter ever since. Perhaps that was the (divine) purpose of it.
He went on, "I can tell you are at the point in your life where it's time for you to be saved." I asked meekly, "What do you mean?" He seemed exasperated. He told me he is 55 years old and knows he is not going to live forever. He insisted, "You won't live forever either; no one will." I didn't respond and tried to look away, but he seemed to have a way to catch my gaze and instead I looked straight at his right front grey ill-formed tooth. He told me, "you need to accept Jesus into your heart. Jesus wants you to do that; he cares about you." I asked him, "Me?" He nodded confidently and said, "yes." I inquired, "What about everyone else?" He seemed annoyed and amended himself, "yes, everyone including you." He said, he feels Jesus here with us right now and we both have to accept that the Holy Spirit is choosing to work through him for me. Otherwise, he never would have said anything. He continued, "We don't know each other; I've never seen you before, and for all we know we will never see each other again. This is an important moment." He started to preach, "Jesus died for your sins and all you have to do is accept him and open up your heart to him and all your sins will be forgiven and you will be saved. You can't keep waiting and you can't continue to hide." Truthfully, I wondered if I was still in reality. It felt like an after-school religious movie especially when he said, "Allowing the holy spirit into your life is amazing" and he blew at my chest. "That's what it will feel like. It will blow into you and your life will be forever changed." I felt contaminated and asked, "forever?" "Yes, forever," he confirmed. It's what God wants for you, but you have to make that choice." "It's what God wants for me... or for everyone," I wanted to know. "For everyone," he assured me, but right now, in this moment, for you." I said I would need to think about this. He reminded me again, this is not something he ordinarily does, but the Holy Spirit is using him to reach me. "Thank you," I said with sincere intention. He stared at me and asked me what time it was. I looked at the clock on the wall over his head and said, "8:15" (pm). He said he had to go. He was still smiling, but he also still seemed angry to me. As he started to raise his cap to his head, he pointed to the biblical passage woven into the visor, John 1:8. "Read it," he insisted. I said I would and thanked him. He repeated, "I have to go." He placed his hand on my shoulder below the tank top shoulder strap. I was taken aback by the callused feel of his hand against my still slightly sweaty skin from my work-out, but I did not move or attempt to release his hand. He broke into a prayer asking for the Holy Spirit to fill me with courage to use my free will to ask for forgiveness and salvation. His eyes were closed and he seemed intentional with the words he used. After he finished, I added, "Amen." He seemed satisfied as he turned and walked away and out.
I washed the area on my shoulder where he had placed his hand. I have been thinking about this encounter ever since. Perhaps that was the (divine) purpose of it.
