Step Up & Step Out

I’m very vocal about my faith and proud to share it with others. Sharing my faith with people I know isn’t something I struggle with but sharing my faith with those I don’t know comes as more of a challenge. Recently, I’ve seen people around me step out in faith to strangers when they felt God calling them. Until a couple of months ago I had never had an experience like that and did not understand what they were talking about.

I was in a public parking lot in Boulder, Colorado that was shared with a church. On the back steps of the church, I saw a woman sitting by herself crying. I immediately felt a pull to go and pray for/with her. Sure, I have prayed with many people before but I had never gone up to someone I did not know and have the first thing out of my mouth be an offer of prayer. I had no idea who she was, why she was crying, or if she even went to the church she was sitting at. I was afraid she would be offended or angered by my offer of prayer if she was not a Christian or because I was intruding during an upsetting and personal moment. And to be completely honest I was afraid of it blowing up in my face. I internally debated for a few minutes and eventually walked away without saying a word to the woman on the steps. I felt guilty and like I had let God down at that moment by ignoring what I felt He was calling me to do as a follower of His.

Fast forward to two weeks ago when I felt Him nudging me again. I was at church and saw a guy sitting by himself. I asked my friend if she knew who the guy was but neither of us had ever seen him before. I assumed that it was his first time and immediately knew I should go and introduce myself to make him feel welcome in the church. This was the second pull from God to step out to someone I didn’t know and I knew I couldn’t ignore Him again. As soon as the service was over, I nervously (but confident that I was doing the right thing) walked over, introduced myself, and asked if this was his first time at the church. I finished my eager introduction feeling relieved. I received a smile and a handshake and then was told that he was not new but actually comes to the church all the time. He said he appreciated what I did but I still walked away feeling very embarrassed. Not only was I embarrassed but I felt bad that I had not noticed him at services before. To make it more embarrassing I later found out that he was the older brother of a friend of mine.

The story of my failed introduction became well known as a light-hearted funny story around the church. While I was embarrassed, I did not regret what I did. I feel I had been called to that introduction for a reason. God had tried to get me to step out and pray with the woman in Colorado but because of fear, I walked away. I knew that He was giving me another chance to step up and reach out to someone. I believe that God knew exactly who I was approaching and exactly how it would end to teach me a lesson.

If I step out in my faith it may not end the way I imagine and that is okay. He will take care of me when I live my life for Him and do what I can to share Him with others. He used that moment to show me that stepping up and stepping out in my faith and it not ending how I think it will is better than doing nothing at all. Even though I was embarrassed I was proud of myself for doing it instead of feeling guilty and ashamed for running in the other direction. He calls us to specific things and specific people as a part of His good plan. I am thankful that the person I stepped out to was so kind about the situation but I am also glad that it failed in a way because if it had gone the way I thought it would I wouldn't be writing about it right now. I also don't think I would have the courage to step out again or have faith in God’s control of situations like I do now. As a follower of Christ, I need to step up and step out in my faith and this situation has given me more confidence to do just that.

“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.”

(Luke 12:8-9)