Not Your Typical Valentine's Day

A group of young adults from church and I went to an assisted living place for a polka dance. Prior to arriving we were encouraged to talk, dance, and witness with the elderly people there. The event holds extensive meaning for me in that it represents how I felt about witnessing to people. We walked through the doors and things were weighing heavily on my mind. Ok....First, I have to get to know the people here. Then I have to hold a conversation with them. Then, in that conversation, I have to sneak Jesus into it somehow so I can witness to them.

As we approached the disco ball and the dance floor, the others walked up to complete strangers and were dancing polka dances with happy people in walkers and wheelchairs within seconds. My jaw hit the floor. I was a wallflower growing lonelier by the second. My peers walked off and found others to share a polka dance with.

I've been thinking about witnessing lately; it is a lot to think about. You have to bring it up without being pushy yet still stand firm in telling someone there is only one way to salvation; one right and wrong. You have to know someone well enough to earn any of his or her respect and then tell him/her what you believe. All in all, it's heavy. It's a large burden to carry. Or so I thought.

Man, was I wrong. Sometimes all you have to do is show up. Sometimes all you have to do is put yourself in the right place.

I walked over to a lady sitting by herself. I had no idea to how to introduce myself to an elderly lady at a polka dance in an assisted living home. The polka music was loud; loud enough so no one would have to use hearing aids. I told her my name and she told me hers. Oh great, how am I supposed to talk to this lady when I can hardly hear what she is saying? Viola? Nice to meet you. Would you like to dance? How do I polka dance? She tells me she would like to dance and begins to struggle to stand.  I don't know what I'm doing here, what if she falls? We begin taking steps together, hand in hand. The steps we take are baby steps: shaky and unsure. Suddenly the words come and conversation is natural even if dancing is not.

There I was tipping back and forth to polka music with Viola, an elderly lady living in assisted living quarters; not your typical Valentine's Day.

It was a great night talking with Viola and other wonderful people.

Below is what I think about witnessing. It is less to worry about- sometimes I am paralyzed by all the things I should say or how to bring it up. If you are terrible at verbally witnessing to others like I am, it is encouraging to know that you can simply say to someone:

If God is real, He'll let you know. If you are searching and if you give Jesus a chance, He'll speak to you.
Here's the thing though: He usually speaks with a quiet whisper or a prick of your heart or through an emptiness inside.
Jesus is like pancakes, he fills your emptiness.


Or maybe you can listen for the Holy Spirit's prodding to approach someone. You don't know why the Holy Spirit wants you to talk to that someone but just ask that person in a very nonchalant way, "Are you doing alright?" or "How is everything?" or "How are you?" Sometimes it's the tone that gets to the core of someone.

The thing is that witnessing is so very simple. I never knew that before. I always thought I had to do so much. I don't. But I do have to do something. God will do the speaking. You only have to start the conversation. Don't drop the ball by not saying anything; say something simple and put the ball in God's court. God is real and He will speak to that person.