Christ in a Cow Pasture

Bless the Lord, O my soul! My Dad came to Christ yesterday… In the middle of a cow pasture!

As I write this, I am still in awe of how the Holy Spirit works… He really does show up anywhere, anytime, even in the cab of a work truck in the middle of a cow pasture in southeast Kansas. Ever since I completed an evangelism class for my masters program, I have had a new outlook about sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I realized it was something that I could do—and that I didn’t have to do much, other than have the courage to bring up the subject and allow the Holy Spirit to move.

Praise the Lord for such a wonderful earthly father
AND heavenly father! 

A little background on my Dad… He has always been very supportive of my Christian walk, from the time I was saved and baptized at age 11 to present day. I had a feeling he was potentially open to the idea of salvation through Christ, but no one had ever asked him that question. Side Fact: Did you know that 95% of Christians remain silent about their faith and never evangelize another person their entire life? Until yesterday, I was essentially part of that statistic.

Anyways, after my evangelism class, I started to pray for those friends and family (and even acquaintances) that I thought didn’t know Christ.  My Dad was on that list. I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me, encouraging me to bring up the topic over my time at home in November… Yesterday I went to work with my Dad, riding in the truck, opening gates, helping check cattle. The whole time, I prayed for an opportunity to bring it up.

I could almost feel a mini-battle going on my heart between the Holy Spirit to tell my Dad about Jesus, that we are sinners, He loved us so much He died for us and we have hope versus the Enemy trying to induce nerves and talk me out of it.

Finally, as we bounced across a pasture and put out a hay bale for yet another herd of cattle… I finally just told Satan to shut his mouth. I blurted out… “Dad… I have a question for you.”

I would love to give you play-by-play of our conversation… but I have no idea what I said (primarily because it wasn’t MY voice but the Holy Spirit doing the work.) I do remember it involved statements surrounding The Cross, Jesus’ love for us, forgiveness, sin, hope and how to pray to ask Him to come into Dad’s heart. After I stated whatever I said, I remembered one of the best tips from my class… “THOU SHALT KEEP THY MOUTH SHUT.” (Ok, it wasn’t exactly in those words, but you get my point.)

I knew I had to keep my mouth shut and allow the Holy Spirit to do the work. I sat. Silently prayed. And sat. Prayed. Watched. And sat. The truck rumbled. My Dad’s eyes started to water… Then the Holy Spirit broke through and Dad began to sob. I somehow managed to keep it together, mainly because I knew I had to help him through a prayer to ask for forgiveness and invited Jesus into his life.

I got out of the truck and went around to the driver’s side door. I opened the door, Dad got out and right there in the middle of that cold, muddy cow pasture, we got down on our knees and prayed for Jesus to enter his heart.

Holy Cow. (Literally.)  Talk about "pastoring" in a pasture! 

That was the first time I had led anyone to Christ. And now we can all be assured that no matter what happens tomorrow, next year or 20 years from now, someday we will all be reunited and I will be able to dance with my Dad (and Jesus!) in heaven!

Dancing with my Daddy on the day of my
wedding. 

We are all called to “Go and make disciples throughout the world.” It’s the Great Commission, which is another word for command. It’s not the “Great Suggestion” to do if you feel bold… If you are unsure about how to go about sharing your faith, check out William Fay’s book “Share Jesus Without Fear.” It helped me to rely on the Holy Spirit… And my Dad has a hope and future in Jesus Christ because of it! PRAISE THE LORD!

Keep your eyes open. Pray, pray, pray. Trust the Holy Spirit to help you to share the gospel with others… You never know when you will have a chance to change another person’s eternal fate. It can happen anytime, anyplace… someone might even find Christ in a cow pasture. 

Soli Deo Gloria,

SGK

PS: Please pray for my Dad, a new baby Christian born again yesterday, that he may be discipled and grow as he lives in the footsteps of Jesus! 

"But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation." --Psalm 13:5

Home Sweet Home

The highway stretched out before me… I look to my left, and there is a pasture full of cows with their new fall calves. On my right, a paddock with a few head of horses lounging in the Kansas mid-morning sun. I crack my car window just a smidge. I take a deep breath as the air rushes in, tousling my hair. I turn to my faithful baby dog traveling companion in the passenger seat, smile and say “Justus… we are almost HOME!” 

He just looks back at me, half quizzically, half exasperated, shooting me a glance that says “LET ME OUT OF THIS CAR… NOW.” See, we had been driving approximately 15 hours over a two-day span from Fort Benning, Georgia to Southeast Kansas. I hadn’t been home in over six months… but we were almost there!! 

The last couple of days here in Kansas have been great. Being away from home that long really makes me appreciate all of the little things that make home HOME. Little things like listening to my teenaged brother (who, might I add, is ginormously tall, skinny and awkward now—hello puberty!) bicker with my Dad about appropriate doing of the farm chores. Or laughing hysterically at Justus as he meets a variety of new creatures, from the small pack of dogs that my parents own (three cow dogs, two coon dogs), to chickens, cattle and horses. Not to mention all the new smells that this puppy has never experienced before. Can you say sensory overload? 

We can’t forget the thrill of going to our local Wal-Mart to get groceries, which resulted in a mini reunion/social experience involving conversations with two of my high school classmates, three parents of schoolmates, one of my brother’s teachers and one of our dear neighbors. Small world in Anderson County, Kansas. And believe it or not, I’ve missed it. 

There are so many things that I now appreciate about being HOME, from gravel roads to coyotes howling to the November moon rising over the trees. But as I was reflecting on the rejuvenating experience that is a little quality home-time, I started to think about God… And how if this is great, how AWESOME is our final home gonna be?!? 

Sometimes it’s hard to grasp the magnitude of being home with Jesus. We can only imagine what it is going to be like. But all I know is that if I get such a thrill from making Tutti Frutti jelly with Mama in the kitchen and lounging with a non-school book in comfy pants with my family in the living room, then heaven is going to ROCK. 

When I first started this blog, one of the reasons (in addition to the biblical premise) that I called it “More Precious than Rubies” was that I was born and raised in Kansas. For Halloween, I was Dorothy, Brandon was the Scarecrow and Justus was Toto from the Wizard of Oz. And I was so excited for this trip HOME that I might have possibly kinda sorta packed my ruby slippers. Now that is “precious.” 

We can all enjoy the time that we have on this earth, wherever God calls us to go from Kansas to Georgia to who-knows-where. But we can also look forward to eternity with Him! How remarkable is THAT?!?! Home with my friends/family is blessed… Home in Georgia with my beloved Brandon and puppy is wonderful… But someday, reunited, resting at HOME in Heaven? Now THAT is gonna be HOME SWEET HOME! 

There’s no place like home, 

SGK 

“We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” --2 Corinthians 5:8