The other day, I was out shopping with Robert. We got talking with a guy who was a former special forces soldier, then he worked security as a private contractor overseas. He seemed like a pretty amazing guy. We ended up getting onto the subject of family and specifically children. The situation with Hannah came up, and he asked a lot of the normal questions. At one point a customer came and I told him that he was welcome to talk to the potential customer, but he said that the subject that we were talking about was more important than him making a sale at that moment. (The customer was more browsing than really ready to ask a question or buy anything.) As we reached the end of our conversation, he told me that his daughter is 19 and has a peanut allergy too. He said that she does have the EpiPens, but that she did not take the allergy seriously and that she didn’t even keep the EpiPens with her. He was deeply concerned for her, and asked if I would give him my phone number, which I did, so that she could call me, and I could help her see the seriousness of her allergy. Then he started to ask a question. I could see that he was having a difficult time figuring out how exactly to ask it, so he just said, “You are religious aren’t you?”. I said that yes, I was, and that God is the One that gives us the strength to endure these hard times. We spoke another minute or so, but the customers were needing attention, so he had to attend to them. About ten minutes later, he tracked us down just to tell us how deeply he felt for us. It was really nice.
On the way home, Robert and I talked about this. We each commented on the fact that, although we were dressed like everyone else and we didn’t mention the fact that we were Christians in the conversation, yet he still was able to “see” that there was something different in us. Further, the difference that he saw could only lead him to one conclusion: that God had something to do with this. I told Robert about a similar situation at work last year. I was working with some HVAC guys laying down Pex pipe for in-floor radient heat. It was a big building, and we had around twelve concrete guys there as well that I was also supervising, to some extent. At lunch time, two of the heating guys left to get some food, but the third stayed to tell me about a tragedy in his life. He told me that he didn’t talk about it to other people, but he felt that he should tell me about it. He also relayed that during that time, he felt that reading the Bible was the only meaningful thing he could think to do. We had a good conversation about the Lord, and I gave him the gospel. Later that day, after all the work had ended and the concrete guys were about to leave, they called me over. I ran over, thanked them for their work and then the one said, “We were going to offer you a beer, but you don’t drink, do you?”. I told him that no, I do not drink and that I was not interested in it, but I also thanked him for the kind gesture. They did mean well by this, and I balanced my position with kindness and appreciation for the thought.
As I told this to Robert, I again explained that although I was dressed in my grubby work clothes like everyone else and I wasn’t out overtly “evangelizing,” yet they still saw something different in me They knew that whatever that difference was meant that I likely would not be interested in their beer, but they did like and respect me, so they still asked. These were great opportunities for us to be reminded that our “testimony” before others is more than just directly talking to people about Christ. It is more about living in such a way that others see a positive difference in us, and such a difference that they can only attribute it to God. Robert figured that because we didn’t swear and because we showed interest and concern for others, those were likely the things that they saw in us. I believe that he is correct. The manner in which we live, work, and speak does make a difference. Our Christian life is more than just about our “hearts”. Although that is the starting point, it’s also about our actions. If my actions don’t reflect what I am saying about my heart, there is room for concern. James says in James 2:18 that some people may say that they have faith while others show “works”, but then he basically says that faith cannot be seen apart from works. He “showed his faith by his works.” I’m by no means some sort of standard here with this, but these are two examples of times in which others saw God in me, not by my words directly, but rather by my life: speech, conduct, and actions. This cannot work if my heart isn’t right, but I also can’t say that only my heart matters, and that the outward is irrelevant. My actions reflect my heart and when my heart reflects Christ, others will see Him in me by my actions.
At the funeral we heard from lots of people who told us that they saw Christ in Hannah. At work, church, and school she was reflecting Christ by her actions. As Jesus said in Matthew 2:16, we need to let our light shine before mankind, so that they can see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. In the previous verse, He corrects the “heart only” position by saying that our “light” is not to be hidden, but rather to be prominently on display, giving light to all that are around us. I need to daily pay attention to where I am keeping my “light”. Even small things such as holding a door, giving a stranger a smile, or just being kind, gracious, or pleasant can set us apart as different from the darkness around us. Even simple things like these reflect the One who has made the difference inside of us. Show others your faith by your works. Don’t hide the light!
We are blessed.
Hannah Helps 