Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Mr. Lyft


1 Peter 3:15-16
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

Yes!  Here we are at long last - the much anticipated midterm elections have arrived!  And I do hope, if you haven't yet voted, that you will do so before the day is out.  As Christians, I believe we have a civic duty to cast ballots for those individuals who will best uphold our morals and values.

My husband, Danny, and I decide not to wait for this final opportunity, but choose to vote early, last Wednesday to be precise.  When we arrive at the early voting venue, we are surprised, in light of this being a midterm, at just how long the line is.  Should we stay and vote now?  Should we go home and wait until Tuesday?  We debate momentarily, but then determine to take the plunge.  After all, this is the one day of the week when my son, Daniel, is committed to look after MIL, and we know she is in good and trustworthy hands.

As often happens when one is "trapped" in a long line of people, someone adjacent to you is guaranteed to strike up a conversation, whether it's solicited or not.  And that's exactly what the man behind us does.  We hear more than we ever want to about his Lyft driving misadventures, his personal disabilities and financial woes.  All this punctuated all to frequently by salty language, which makes us think this guy's idea of appropriate boundaries is imaginary lines.

But we listen.  We respond as graciously as possible.  And we pray for patience.  It's one thing to have to endure an hour's wait before casting our vote, but this?  Dear Lord, help us!

Then out of the blue, the hammer drops.

"I visited a church a while back, and the first thing they wanted to know was, 'Are you a Christian?'  What kind of question is that?  I don't even know these people!"

Okay, Lord, what's going on here?  I have the opportunity to offer hope and promise, and I'm practically tongue-tied.  What can I say to convince this stranger that he shouldn't be put off by this, that Christianity is worth another try?

"When I describe my faith," he continues, "I'm more of a Taoist/Buddhist.  It's a tolerance thing, you know?  And I don't believe in Hell at all."

Still feeling ambushed, not at all prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks, I feel God nudging me to try, with His help.

"Jesus speaks about Hell in the Bible," I begin.  "It's a real place that we choose when we choose to live separated from God.  He's given you free will to embrace Him or ignore Him.  And as far as tolerance goes, Christianity hinges on these two commandments:  Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.  What's intolerant about that?"

For once, "Mr. Lyft," as I've begun to think of him, has no rejoinder.

And in retrospect, I should have followed up my commentary with a simple, "God made you, and He loves you."

I didn't.

I regret that.

But now I find myself praying for Mr. Lyft, and so many lost souls like him in this world.  Maybe, just maybe, I did plant a small seed of hope in his heart.  And maybe the Lord will choose to water that tiny seed, and new life will spring forth.

Praying.

And I wonder . . .

Who did Mr. Lyft vote for?

Amen!


22 comments:

  1. I am interested to learn that you have already voted - last Wednesday.

    Here in the UK, whether at National (General) or Local Elections; the voting is done in one day only. The day of the Election.

    The only people who vote early are those who have asked for a Postal Ballot. They get their voting papers by post, they vote and return then paper, BUT - their envelops are not opened and the votes counted until the Election Day. So ALL votes are counted at the same time.

    Did Mr Lyft get a Lyft to vote or did he get Uber?

    God bless you.

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    1. Lol, Victor, I think he must have driven himself!
      And I never knew there weren't standard opportunities for early voting in the UK. I'm not sure how many years this has been offered in the States, but it really makes voting just that more convenient. No excuses, as I like to say.
      Love and blessings!

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    2. The thing is - if we had people voting early, at different dates; it might sway later voters if they knew through the media which way the voting is going. Also, something might happen during the campaign, e.g. a major politician says something, or a declaration of policy, which would change your mind - but it is too late because you have already voted. We have already had such instances when people who voted early by post said they would have voted differently if they knew a politician would say something later on in the campaign.

      Postal voter have a short period of time in which to post their votes.

      Do you have set dates to vote early? (Like last Wednesday). Or could you have voted early like last Tuesday or Thursday?

      God bless.

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    3. Victor, I hear you about the whole changing your mind thing, but I believe those who vote early are already clear on their candidates. The early voting places were open the entire week, and from what I heard from poll workers, it had been busy, busy, busy!

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  2. WELL SAID!!! Bravo!
    The rest is up to God!
    Blessings, My Friend!

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    1. Thanks, Lulu, and yes, the rest is absolutely up to God!
      Love and blessings!

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  3. Wonderful response Martha. You prayed and waited and God opened the door. You walked in. All you can do. As for voting, Jo & I voted early two weeks ago. We had to wait about 15 minutes. I would not want to be anywhere near the polling places today.

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    1. Wow, Bill, you only had to wait 15 minutes? Man! Ours took just over an hour. And thank you for supporting my response to Mr. Lyft. Coming from you, that means a lot!
      Love and blessings!

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  4. Super response, Martha! Methinks 'Mr. Lyft' is desperately lonely … but at the same time I'm concerned about his judgment at the ballot box. (LOL, like we could do anything about that!)

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    1. Thank you, Myra, I did my best with God's help, of course. And I agree that Mr. Lyft is a lonely guy who really and truly could use the love of the Savior, and might not be so lonely if he could find a supportive church family where he felt welcomed. Praying for that!
      Love and blessings!

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  5. We voted early, last Friday and no line – hallelujah. We figured that from now on we’d wait until the Friday before the election and go between 2 and 3. We’re sticking with that plan. How about that Lyft guy? Wow, in God’s world there’s never a dull moment, there’s always someone to show up in our path that needs a word of encouragement or a word of hope. And like you said, this guy seriously needs your prayers. What an adventure life is for those in Christ. We are always on the lookout for those in need of hope, and mostly what happens is that these moments take us by surprise.

    Years ago I was in a book store when someone called my name. I turned and there sat two mutual friends. Mark said, “Ask her, she’ll know.” I went over and sat with them. The girl told me her mother had recently died and she didn’t know where she was now. The family lived in Sri Lanka and were all Buddhists, as she was. My response to her was, “I’m not sure where your mother is now but in the Christian faith we believe that Christ is the Resurrection, therefore all who are in Him are resurrected.” She said to me, “Your faith sounds like something I should believe in.”

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    1. Oh, Debra, what a fantastic story of witness you've shared here! Thank you!
      And yes, life in Christ is truly one big adventure - we never know when someone who needs to be pointed toward the hope we have will cross our path. I think this was God's way of waking me up, encouraging me to be better prepared to share my faith honestly and gently with anyone who needs to hear about Jesus.
      Love and blessings!

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  6. Martha, thank you for sharing this post. You never know who you'll meet while waiting in line. I think you did a good job in sharing the Lord with Mr. Lyft--you never know how God will use the seeds that you planted.

    When I went to vote today, the line was short and inside (the wind was cold!). It will be interesting to see the outcome of this midterm election.

    Love and blessings!

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    1. Yes, it will be so interesting to see the outcome, Kim, and I'm praying that whatever it is, that it's God's will. Thanks, too, for reassuring me that what I shared with Mr. Lyft was convincing enough. One never knows, but God does!
      Love and blessings!

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  7. I think we have all been in a line somewhere at some time with someone like your Mr. Lyft. Your response was well said.

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    1. Thanks for the affirmation, Terri! I was so taken aback at the moment he came out with his comment, I just couldn't be sure. Let's pray for all the Mr. Lyfts out there!
      Love and blessings!

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  8. Hi Martha, your post made me grateful to live in a free country where we can wait in lines, share our faith, vote our values, agree to disagree. It's so easy to take this all for granted. God has been so kind and gracious ...

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    1. Yes, Linda, all too easy to take for granted, this ability to vote and have our say as to how our country should govern. We are truly blessed, indeed, by God and our founding fathers who set up this democratic republic.
      Love and blessings!

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  9. I love how you first prayed for God's guidance, Martha. It's amazing how God brings people into our paths. You planted a seed of hope, and I pray with you that God will cause it to grow and give him grace to embrace God with his whole heart. Love and hugs to you!

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    1. Trudy, it had to have been one of the quickest prayers I've ever prayed! I felt I was in such a pickle at that moment, but as always, God came through and gave me the words to say. Yes, I'm so hoping I was able to plant a seed which God will continue to grow in this man's heart.
      Love and blessings!

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  10. I'm in!

    I so enjoy stories like these when one of us speak the truth in love and humility!

    Job well done, sister!

    Your sweet spirit heeded it's calling. And the saints celebrate!

    I appreciate your heart for the driving man. I too am praying for him.

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    Replies
    1. Hooray! You got in, Floyd!!! This is great news, and I so appreciate your kind comment here. Yes, let us remember to pray for the too many lost souls in our world.
      Love and blessings!

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