Don't ignore the nudge

Ever feel a nudge, an urge inside your soul telling you to do something? That's how I felt yesterday. I saw a lady being treated rudely at a grocery store. This particular store doesn't provide bags. You must pay for them. This woman was obviously new to the store, and after purchasing her food, she asked where the plastic bags were. The cashier said all too curtly, "You have to pay for them" and ignored her afterward. I was a bit enraged (almost called later and complained).
Right before I paid for my groceries, God told me to buy the lady some bags. I did at the last minute, feeling a bit silly. My amount of items obviously did not need the extra bags. I quickly left and gave them to the lady, who was already piling the food in her trunk. She said thanks and explained she was unfamiliar with the store. I nodded, smiled, and went on my way. I didn't feel any urge to speak with her more, though now I think maybe I should have. Only now can I think to ask, "Are you new to Kirksville?" That question alone can lead to so many opportunities to invite them to church and/or Bible study. Or even share the Word if God led the conversation in that direction.

I have never been a fan of a certain evangelical method. In my opinion, knocking on doors and passing out tracks is very ineffective. The percentage of truly reached souls is extremely low. I understand and concede with the counter argument that the one or two souls that hear and receive the gospel through these measures make it worth the effort. One cannot determine which type of ground your seeds fall, whether road, rocky land, thorns or good soil (Parable of the Sower). If just one seed lands on the good soil, it could produce a multitude of fruit. So, yes, this type of evangelical method is needed, but I don't believe everyone is called to this method.
Some must disciple and teach the young seedlings that are trying so hard to grow. Others are called to prepare the ground for the sower. What makes good soil good? God, obviously. But he seems to be in the habit of using his children as vessels for his work, so I believe preparing the ground is part of that.
How can one make the ground ready? Being fruitful. Nothing is more appetizing than a tree filled with juicy insert your favorite fruit. I know a certain someone who finds a pear tree to be one of her favorite summer stops. When our lives reflect the Lord, it brings people closer. I believe seeing a truly faithful walk causes a curiosity and even a desire to share in that walk.
Then there is the type of witnessing like when Philip met the eunuch on the road and explained to him a passage in Isaiah and shared the gospel (Acts 8:26-40). Sometimes God puts specific people of our hearts, like a co-worker or the person who does your taxes. Or a lady in a grocery store. These people aren't necessarily unsaved. Maybe God simply wants them to grow more and is using you to provide the nutrients needed.
What this all wraps up to is that God has a variety of jobs for us. Some are needed in just one, others in more. Just because you're not preaching in a public forum doesn't mean God can't/won't ask you to share the message in another way. Always be ready to be a vessel. To do that, you must first be empty...but that's for another entry =).