Show and tell

as told to Hilda J. Born

James 4:17 says: "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." That is exactly what my friend Eileen believes. Here are some of the ways she and her husband Don have shared the good news of Jesus.

I like taking walks. Some of my paths are near high schools. Youngsters aren't allowed to smoke inside. Instead, they would cluster on the perimeter of the schoolyard to puff away. I always greeted them when I came near. They were friendly and one day offered me a cigarette. I declined, and told them I had something better to give them.

"What could that be?" they wondered.

"The Bible is much better," I told them. "Would you like a copy?"

Eagerly they accepted. Each time I came by, I brought more. I didn't just give the Bibles away; we had many discussions, too. They wanted to know about Jesus and heaven. One girl said, "I have waited for this." Some took their Bibles and went straight to their cars and started reading. One girl said she already knew about such things. The girl beside her asked, "Then why didn't you tell me, so I could know about Jesus, too?"

My husband invited his business client over for lunch one day. My homemade dill pickles were on the menu as usual. Our visitor liked them so much that he asked for the recipe. I gladly gave it to him. He and his lady partner were new to Canada, so they appreciated our help with the language.

We invited them to share Sunday after-church lunch with us. They came repeatedly, and soon it became routine to have buns and borscht at our house following the service.

After a few years, our teenaged daughter requested baptism. Our friends came along, and the lady was so moved that she sat shaking while watching the baptism. They considered their spiritual state, which we had often discussed.

On a trip overseas, they met an evangelist, who led them to Christ. Following their marriage, they were baptized. Now they are active church members and raise their children to know God, too.

My brother was a pastor in a poor part of Brazil. When we visited him, we saw people who had no money for clothing. On our return, I told my friends about this. We packed a few boxes of clothes and sent them over. As more people responded to this need, the clothing collection in our home grew. We packed and sent dozens of boxes, over a hundred. Each time, I made sure there were clothes suitable for all ages, both young and old.

One day, my brother wrote to tell me that when he looked over his congregation, he thought he saw an item of North American clothing on each one. He said, "Thank you. We did not barter for their salvation. But how could I preach Christ to them when I saw they had nothing for daily needs and no clothing to wear at home or in church?"

At my place of work, there was a lady who scoffed at Christians. She'd been involved with the Jehovah's Witnesses and had attended seminars of the Jim Jones cult (which later committed mass suicide). She had even organized bus trips for these seminars. Once Jim Jones told his followers he was God and they should pray to him. The woman stood up and asked, "What then about Jesus?" They shouted her down. She became ill, so returned home.

Later this woman accepted my invitation to come to a Barry Moore crusade. There she went forward to accept Christ and received peace within.

On our street in Vancouver, there was a somewhat neglected home. I often saw an unkempt woman sitting outside on the veranda when I walked by. Each time I saw her, I greeted her, and I sometimes stopped to chat. When I had a chance to share my faith, I asked her how she felt about Christ. She listened, but she rejected the invitation to accept Jesus as Saviour.

After a while, I noticed her absence from the front of the house. I inquired and heard she was sick. One day, she sent her daughter to ask me to come over. I did. We went through the four spiritual laws together. She said, "Yes," to Jesus.

A few weeks later, the daughter came again with the request for me to come to her mother's bedside. With much prayer, I followed her. We repeated what we'd gone through the previous time because the mother had some doubts. This time, they vanished. A short time later, she died with the assurance of salvation.

These are some of the people that Don and Eileen loved enough to give the most lasting gift: the gospel of Christ. Don and Eileen are not their real names, but the stories are true. Hilda J. Born is a member of Central Heights MB Church in Abbotsford, B.C.

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