I’ve only ever ice skated a few times…and only when I had people to go with (before yesterday, I had only ever gone in warm, sunny Florida ironically-Pensacola Christian College). Addison’s desire for us to go got us to go. Otherwise, I probably would have never ice skated again.
80% of unchurched people say they’d come to church if a friend invited them. Otherwise, they may never come. I’m so glad Dianna invited Jen when they were teenagers, and I don’t take it for granted that my parents, Ren and Nancy, had me in church since I was a baby.
John 1:41 tells how Andrew met Jesus and couldn’t wait to invite Simon Peter: “He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.” Otherwise, Peter may never have met Jesus.
Sometimes inviting people to church or sharing God’s plan of salvation doesn’t go quite that smoothly (sometimes snow even cancels services!)...and that’s ok! Skipping ahead a couple verses, John 1:43-46 says, “The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. 44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.” Nathanael does accept Christ and might never have gotten the chance if Philip wasn’t willing to go with him despite Nathanael’s skepticism.
Brooklyn got a cut on her leg while helping a little guy learn to skate yesterday. The boy fell at one point and scratched Brooklyn’s leg with his skate—they are both ok, and the boy may never have skated without Brooklyn’s help. We admire Brooklyn’s eagerness to help others, and I hope we’ll all be that willing to help others come to the One Who can impact their lives eternally!