Even In the Hard Places

The year was 1995. Leanna and I were fixin’ to step off into the great unknown of ministry, but first, there were bills to pay. So I got a job working for a national rent-to-own outfit. Yes, I was a repo man! The money was good and, surprisingly, the opportunity to reach people for Jesus was even better! Through this job, people in the housing projects of central Fort Worth began to trust me as God took me into the homes of the poorest of the poor.

Imagine what this was like: I would knock on a door at 7 a.m. and a sleepy-eyed single mom would open it. “Mrs. Jones,” I would say, “I’m here to pick up your refrigerator.” She would look at me with disgust and explain that there was milk for her kids in the refrigerator and meat for dinner in the freezer. Then, I would explain that she had broken her contract and that it had taken me several weeks to track her down.  I would be polite, even sympathetic, but firm. “I’m here to take your refrigerator,” I would say.

I can’t tell you how hard it was to walk past those kids without saying anything. And the absolute worst thing I could say was something like “God bless you” or “Jesus loves you.” I had to keep my mouth shut and be professional. It nearly killed me!

Now imagine how effective it was to show up at that same house when I was off work, with a gently used or refurbished refrigerator Leanna and I had bought from a second-hand store. Imagine the surprise on that mama’s face when I explained to her that earlier, I had been there in the name of my company, but this time, I was there in the name of Jesus!

The refrigerator was a free gift, “just like Jesus,” I would say. You would not believe the move of God that would follow. It was amazing!

These were special times for us. How about you? Are you in the middle of special times, showing Jesus to a hurting world in need? If you’re not, you should be.