Lend someone your cell phone

When I first spotted Will, he was venting his frustration at the payphone that wasn’t being user-friendly. After explaining to the payphone what it thought of it, he began to tell me what he thought of payphones that wouldn’t work. Well, at least it was a conversation starter. I’m not so particular how it starts as lon...g as we can get some talk going on. So, I offered to let Will use my cell phone, he accepted the offer, had his conversation, gave the phone back and said, "Here." as he tried to hand me fifty cents. It appears that is one way some enterprising people of the street make a little money (too bad I hadn’t thought of that earlier).

Anyway, when I said, "No, of course not, you’re more than welcome." Will too a second look at me. What was I thinking? It didn’t take long to strike up a conversation with him. As we walked down Main Street, he told me his story.

Will grew up in Charlotte, NC, and started smoking pot as a teenager. He was pretty sure he would never graduate to anything stronger because he "wasn’t crazy." But, he did, and by the time he was in his mid-twenties, he wasn’t "using drugs" they were "using him." Will wound up in prison serving a 15-20-year sentence. He was just released on parole earlier this year and violated within a few weeks. He just got out of jail this week and hopes to enter a rehab center this weekend.

Will said when he got out of prison a few months ago, he knew he would never go back to his old life and was shocked to discover how easy it was to slip back into the old pattern of life. (I think I see an opening here.) I said, "Will, did you really want to take the straight road?" He assured me he did. "Did you try as hard as you could?" He said he thought he was really trying. "Well, what do you think was missing?" He thought for a long minute and said he didn’t know. "Well, where did God figure into all your plans and efforts to change your life?" I asked him.

"Oooooh, that’s where you’re going with this." Will finally caught my drift. "You know," Will said, "I was talking with a lady at the courthouse this morning and she started giving Scriptures and talking to me about God, now you come along talking to me about God. It seems like God is ganging up on me." And I said, "Yeah, God is good like that. He loves you, Will. He’s after you. Wants you bad."

As we walked and I continued to share God’s love with him, Will decided he wanted to call the lady at the courthouse and tell her what was happening. He told her about our conversation and then he wanted me to talk with her. When I got on the line, she said, "God is at work! I asked him to send his angel and track this man down." Well, He didn’t send an angel, but he sent me to tell Will of His love. I can’t believe I get to do this every day!

We were near where my car was parked so I offered to take Will back to the treatment center where he had a 4:15 appointment. As we drove, I prayed with him and urged him to walk with the Lord. He promised me he would.

I have been praying today that God would raise up a handful of men who will get really serious about their walk with God, whom God will use to help bring the revival to these city streets I know he wants to bring. I had a feeling today that Will just might be one of those men. Will you join me in prayer–not only for Will–but for many others to become true disciples of Jesus and lead many to faith.