“Always be prepared to give an answer . . . for the hope that you have” (I Peter 3:15 NIV).
As I walked into the medical waiting area, I noticed an older woman standing off to the side gripping her walker. She seemed unsure of herself, so I approached her and asked, “Can I help you?”
“No,” she said. “I’m old and I’m waiting to die.”
Startled, I asked, “How old are you?”
“I’m ninety-two,” she said and chuckled. “My mother died when I was sixteen, and I had to raise my younger brother.”
“Oh, that must have been hard,” I said. Then thinking of her comment about dying, I asked, “Did you mention waiting to die because you’re eager to go to heaven?”
“I don’t know where I’m going,” she said.
Wanting to reassure her I said, “But you can know.”
“All my life I’ve told God I want to go to heaven,” she replied.
“You can, if you believe in Jesus,” I answered.
Just then they called her name and she walked away, leaving me disappointed I couldn’t share more. If only I had a gospel pamphlet to hand her.
I prayed for her salvation, hoping the seed planted would take root.
Once home, I put Christian resources in my purse to be ready for my next opportunity to share my hope in Jesus. I want others to know God’s Word, which says we can know for sure about our eternal destiny.
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life (1 John 5:12,13 NIV).
I’m grateful to have the assurance of spending eternity with Jesus.
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About Lydia Harris
Lydia E. Harris is happily married to Milt, her sweetheart for 48 years. She has two married children, five grandkids, and is the author of a Bible study, "Preparing My Heart for Grandparenting" (AMG Publishers, 2010 release). She's also a tea enthusiast and writes the column "A Cup of Tea with Lydia."