“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.
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."
