The Fields are White

Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work."Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest."Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together." John 4:34-36

I met E.J. at Green Hills Mall in Nashville, TN. She was a sweet strikingly pretty girl with chestnut chin length hair, and full of kindness. She was working, and I was in the throes of morning sickness and the worst kind of exhaustion you can imagine. Thankfully the Lord graced me to see through my sickness and helped me to realize that this “chance meeting” was a perfect opportunity. I asked her the simplest of questions, “Do you go to church anywhere around here?” From previous experience, I was well aware that someone could quite possibly divulge their entire life story in response to such a simple question. People have much to say about faith, religion, and spirituality, and this should really come as no surprise. E.J. and I exchanged a few words, but the Lord impressed on my heart that she was open to the Gospel, so I asked her if she’d like to do lunch some time. She graciously accepted the invitation and we happily exchanged contact info. When I emailed her several days later you can imagine my sheer delight to receive her quick affirmative response to my invitation to hang out again.

Our first meeting after our run in the clothing store was at Barnes & Nobles. We met up before going to see Confessions of a Shopaholic, a truly hilarious, Legally Blonde reminiscent movie. I thought E.J. would love it, and I was right! Prior to giggling over popcorn and a movie we had the chance to chat over a coffee. Immediately we began sharing life stories, and E.J. got right to the point. She felt like something was missing in her life, and indeed HE was. She went on to say that she did not think our meeting was a chance encounter, and of course it wasn’t. E.J. had only a cursory knowledge of the Gospel, so I explained to E.J. who Jesus was and what He desired to do in and with her life. I am telling you only GOD can orchestrate moments quite like these. E.J. chatted on her voice intense with excitement and desire to learn about my Lord. I could only wonder if He would become hers.

Fast forward 2 weeks:
E.J. and I met for dinner at 6:30 Cheesecake Factory on a Sunday night. As I listened to her and shared life with her, I marveled as I have time and again at the work that God Himself has done in her to draw her to Jesus! With no religious background, raised in Maryland, and dealings with nominal Christians who mistreated her and attempted to make her feel inferior due to her lack of knowledge, lack of church attendance, etc. and seeing as she had little exposure to the Gospel, it is a MARVEL that E.J. by her own confession realized that she would not find purpose in life apart finding God. Truly it must be the work of the Holy Spirit.

E.J. asked TONS of great questions. About heaven and hell, how do we know Jesus is the only way, what about other world religions, homosexuality, what about my past, on and on the questions went. We talked of all these things and of our lives for a solid 2 and 1/2 hours. It was one of THE most AMAZING experiences I have ever had in sharing with an unbeliever. E.J. drove me to my car after dinner I offered up a prayer for her out loud that she would know Christ and that God would make Himself known to her and bless her. When I said Amen. We were sitting in a parking space near my car and E.J. looked over at me and said something to the effect of, “When you pray I feel good. I sense something.” She looked at me with penetrating eyes and went on, “I feel like my life will not be right unless I ask God to come and take over my life. I know I’m going to have change many things, but I am compelled to pray to Him right now…” With that she grabbed my hands and offered up a prayer to the God, now, of HER life. It was one of THE most beautiful things I have ever seen. With tears in her eyes she asked God to bless me (Bless me?! I was blessed already!) and for God to help me to teach her and help her in her life. After her Amen. She peered at me again exclaiming, “I can’t believe you’re willing to spend all this time with me and help me learn just because. I feel like I should pay you something (with laughter).” Little does she know that there’s no amount of money in all the world that could persuade me to trade getting to see her inherit the one true treasure in all of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ!

The fields really are white for harvest. Let's be disciples who work it!