A Great Day at Work

I had the most wonderful day at work this week. I work with a woman who is a pillar of strength in hard times, in the year and a half that I've worked at my job, she has had more hard times than I can count on both hands. Her burdens are a constant burden on my heart. We get along well, but we're not very close on a personal level. There are so many things I want to tell her about the redemption that God offers, but to just walk up and say "Hey, God can bring you peace and healing" when one thing after another goes wrong in her life doesn't seem to fit. I want sharing the Gospel with her to be part of a natural conversation, not just something I spew out at her as I'm walking past her desk. I had been praying that God would give me a chance to just sit and talk with her.
The other day she, another co-worker, and I started chatting about teeth of all things. You know, dentures, braces, the usual. Somehow the conversation switched to just she and I talking about television shows, and then to books. Then she started talking about the Left Behind book series and asked if I had read it. She talked about how she believed in God and that Jesus died on the cross for her, but that she did not believe much more of the Bible. She said there's just so much to it and it's hard to know what has been lost in translation. I got to talk about the church Matt and I are part of, it's in a home with about fifteen other people. I said what we like about it is that with such a small group we all get to talk about what we like, new things we're learning, or don't understand in the Bible. After a little more talking she said that she hopes her believing in Jesus is enough, because she's kind of a loner. I got to share that God did not create us to wander through this life alone, but that we need each other to learn from, help, and depend on. I got to invite her to our church gathering, and it all started with a conversation about teeth!
I share this story for many reasons, the first being that God is totally awesome. I am a pusher, when I get an idea in my head that someone needs my help (whether they do or not) I will force my "helpful opinion" on them whether the timing is right or not. I have been praying for this woman for a long time, because I wanted God to present the opportunity for conversation instead of me attempting to construct it on no foundation. I think she was ready and open to the conversation, and that's why God allowed it. I also share this story because it really pumped me up. God knows that we are creatures who need tangible landmarks, if we go too long without seeing some living sign that He's working, we get in a rut (at least I do). God allowed me the opportunity to share some of His words of truth, and I believe that He is going to grow them in my co-workers heart.