You Never Know

I attended a men’s breakfast a few years back, and I was fascinated by the conversation of one of the men there. Lyle was a successful businessman with whom I had done business. He opened his remarks by saying, “I can’t wait to get to Heaven.” That got the attention of those of us sitting around him at the table.

Lyle then went on to explain why he said that. His words are paraphrased due to the time that has passed since I heard them (a nice way of saying my memory isn’t what it used to be). He said;

“All of our lives we come in contact with others. We often know very little about the people. I just can’t begin to imagine how exciting it will be to get to Heaven and have a perfect stranger come up to me and say ‘Thank you.’ Since I wouldn’t what he was talking about he would go on to explain—‘years ago, Lyle, you didn’t know what I was going through, but we were talking and you said just the right thing. It was what you said that got me to think about my relationship with God. You planted a seed in me which eventually grew, and it grew to the point where I am here today, a place where I have the chance to meet you again and say thank you.’”

Lyle then stressed that it is all of the little things we can do that could be the pivotal moment, or tipping point, in another person’s life, and that we may never know whether something we say or do may trigger a spiritual awakening in someone we run across. He concluded his remarks with “you just never know.”

His comments made me think about my own awakening. There were no bells or whistles, no pleas, no pressure. There was just some passing comments that planted a seed.

Bottom Line Thought: It seemed as if Lyle had made it his mission to be comfortable, real, and openly honest with the folks he came in contact with, as well as wearing his faith on his sleeve. You are not Lyle, but you have the same opportunities as he had. Are you open to them? Wouldn’t it be nice to have that stranger walk up and say thanks some day? You never know!