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by Debby WoodsEighteen years old and only three months into my faith, the same Christian group that introduced me to Christ-Campus Crusade for Christ-decided we’d all go to the Florida beaches to read religious tracts to people. Well, no way was I going to be a fanatic. I was saved and glad, but beach evangelism was too much.
My friends persisted: “Come on, Debby, go with us. We’ll have so much fun. You’ve got to go.”
I really liked these people, and I wanted to be with them. But I was determined not to go witnessing. I decided the solution to the problem was to go with them but to stay “normal.” Though I agreed to go on the trip, I planned to get sick every day at sharing time-a headache or something, anything to keep me from being weird on the beach. So, off we went to Florida.
I am one of those self-appointed entertainment chairmen on buses. I found myself leading songs and cheers the whole trip. The bus rolled into Florida, and we were all in high spirits.
Before I knew it, two staff women approached me and said, “Debby, you’re so excited, we can tell you just can’t wait to share your faith. We want to take you right now, even before we check into our hotel.”
Every alarm in my in my body went off. What could I do now? I certainly had not been acting even slightly sick. I was in trouble. There was no way out.
So off we went to the beach-one fanatic on my left, one on my right, and me, the normal one, in the middle. Then they began to pray-with their eyes open. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know you could do that. They gently spoke to God as a personal friend: “God, send us three non-Christian girls so we can share the gospel with them and lead them to repentance.”
I prayed silently, “Lord, send us two so I can watch.” I didn’t want to do this. It did not occur to me that God would equip me for whatever He led me to do.
It had not been five minutes before three girls began walking toward us. Fear gripped my heart. “Maybe they won’t talk to us,” I secretly hoped.
These three girls, however, were more than willing to talk with us. Each staff member took one girl and left me standing, all alone, with this stranger. All I could say to her was, “Can I read you this book?” My heart was pounding. The girl graciously said, “Sure.” I almost fainted. I had to do this now; there was no turning back.
My voice cracked as I began to read the gospel to this open-hearted girl. “God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.” She listened intensely as I walked through this simple message point by point. When I asked her if she had ever given her life to Jesus, she bowed her head and answered that she had not. I asked her if she wanted to, and she eagerly said, “Yes, I would.”
- I was in total shock. I could not believe this. I looked at her and blurted out, “YOU WOULD?”
Undaunted by my clumsiness and fear, she again confidently said, “Yes, I would.”
Stunned, I slowly turned the page of the booklet to the prayer of salvation. Line by line, we prayed a simple prayer and God escorted this young girl into His kingdom. After we prayed she wrapped her warms around my neck and said, “Thank you so much for telling me.”
I was forever changed by that encounter. It was amazing to me that right there on that beach with this untrained, scared, reluctant college student, a life was changed. A young girl met God. God began teaching me that day that it’s not how able you are, but how available. Only God can touch a heart, and only God can save a soul. This is good news.
God taught me much on that trip to Florida. Over and over I told people, “I don’t know much, but what I know I’ll tell you. Once I was lost and was longing for love. Then I met Love, and I was no longer lost.” I had discovered that God loves me and would use even me. Suddenly I realized…the fanatic was me.
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Debby leads Racerunners, a Bible-study ministry, and lives in Birmingham, Alabama. For information, call (205) 870-7988.
© Debby Woods. Adapted with permission from Journey Into the Heart of God, by Debby Woods (Birmingham, AL: Race Runners, 1989.)
