Seeking Divine Appointments
T
here is ministry – and then there is door-to-door ministry. If ministries
were on a dodgeball team, Literature Evangelism (LE) would probably
be chosen last every time. This is the ministry most people look at and say,
“No thank you – not for me.”
On the surface, LE may not seem to be the ideal ministry because it
consists of physical, emotional and spiritual effort and exhaustion. It entails
power walking through extreme summer heat, ignoring those well-earned
blisters on your feet, and quoting your memorized canvass for the 25th time
that day – all to get rejected by
another stranger slamming the
door.
Yet it also includes lost
souls finding hope – finding
Christ in a book simply brought
to their door. To me, this is what
makes it worth the effort.
Many people are surprised
that I choose to give up my
summer plans to go knock on
doors. But I do not look at it as
being a saleswoman for eight
weeks; I look at it as making
friends with strangers for eight
weeks. With my extroverted
personality, I couldn’t think of anything more fulfilling. It’s not my job to
come away from the door with a load of money. Instead, it’s my job to leave
smiles on faces, a good impression of who Christ is, and a book that tells what
He is all about.
My view of people behind those doors drastically changed the very first
day out. At each house, doors were slamming in my face faster and faster.
Discouraged and fearing more rejection, I tried to think of excuses to pass the
next house. But then I became determined to have someone get a book about
Jesus. I rang the doorbell, and a frowning lady came stomping up, giving
rejection signals before the door was even completely open. “I can’t afford
what you have,” she snapped. “All my money goes to my husband’s hospice
care and my mother’s back surgery.”
While the door was quickly shutting I said, “Could I pray for your husband
instead?” The door came to an abrupt halt and the woman looked at me in
astonishment. “Really?” she asked. The next thing I knew, I was kneeling on
the floor beside her frail husband.
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Connection
After I prayed, the woman and I both had tears in our eyes. She went
to the kitchen and handed me a larger donation than I had received all day.
Within 10 minutes her attitude had completely changed. Now I was giving
her books and we were hugging. I came to the door with her yelling, and I left
with her saying, “I’m excited to see you in Heaven, Mollie.” I’ve never since
looked at people as cranky or mean – I see them as hurting.
I may never see the results of my work this side of Heaven, but what
keeps me going is imagining every person I talk to as someone I will meet
again in Heaven. I’m able to continue doing LE because I have realized the
importance of this work. Having a book brought to their doorstep might be
the only way some people will find Christ.
In this work, it seems you are always seeking rejuvenation of energy,
which is why there is no possible way to have a successful summer without
spending daily (and even hourly) time talking to God. This is why LE is so
much more than people at their doors getting a book. I didn’t just come away
from LE my first summer with cold college cash. I came away with an eternal
ministry mindset. I no longer look at people in the super market as just people.
I see them as candidates for Heaven. I no longer go through my day waiting
for the Lord to show up. I am actively seeking for divine appointments with
people where the Lord can use me. I am no longer offended by rude people
behind a door, or anywhere for that matter. I now am concerned for what must
be going on in their lives. I’m no longer waiting for people to come to the
church to find the gospel. I’m yearning to bring the gospel to people where
they are.
I can confidently say becoming an LE is the best thing that ever happened
to me because the effects on the people I meet – and on myself – are eternal.
BY MOLLIE CUMMINGS DUPPER
Would you like to have experiences This article was written by Mollie
like Mollie’s? Call Rocky Davis at Cummings (Dupper) in July, 2013
after several summers of Literature
615-859-1391.
Evangelism.
AUTO DONATIONS NEEDED
The youth ministry in the publishing
department is growing rapidly. Plans for 2018
are to have a strong student program, but many
college age youth don’t have transportation.
If you donate a vehicle to this program, the
Kentucky-Tennessee Conference will provide a letter to you defining your
donation as a charitable contribution. For more information call Rocky Davis
at 615-859-1391.
Kentucky-Tennessee Conference
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