By Doug Creamer

I was talking with a friend the other day and was reminded of the first couple of years of our married lives. When we got married, we moved to the quiet town of Kenansville, in rural Duplin County. We loved our first years in Kenansville. Being young, we often wondered why we weren’t living in a bigger city.

We got involved at a local church and worked hard at our jobs. One day in Sunday school class, the teacher asked me if I knew why we were living in that small town. With a smile, she said that she prayed for a godly man to be a teacher in her daughter’s school. The next school year, I taught her daughter.

It’s great how God answers our prayers. In order to answer our prayers, God has to find someone who is willing to say “yes” to him. Our willingness to say “yes” allowed this woman to realize that God really hears and answers her prayers. God needs us to do our part so he can answer people’s prayers.

I imagine that every one of us is praying for friends, neighbors, and loved ones who are lost and don’t have a personal relationship with God. I often find myself praying, “God, please find someone who will spend time with this lost soul and will help to bring them home and into a personal relationship with you.”

For God to answer that prayer, someone is going to have to say, “Here am I Lord, send me.” It is amazing to me that God limits himself to getting someone to go for him. He knows who the best person is who can help lead the lost sheep back to God. The trouble is, sometimes that person is unwilling to go.

God made each one of us with unique talents, skills and abilities that allow us to reach people in places that other people just can’t go. I have never been very athletic, so for me to reach athletes with the love of God is a bit farfetched. I am not saying God can’t use me, but I am not the best candidate for the job. I have several friends who love Jesus and who coach sports. They use that open door to reach kids. I know that they are the answer to many parents’ pleas with God for their children.

Throughout my teaching career, there were many opportunities to talk with students about faith, hope and love. Sometimes the doors and hearts were open, and other times they were closed. Sometimes the opportunity developed because of a personal crisis a student was facing. Other times it was a major world event like 9/11 or the tragic death of a student that opened the doors of opportunity to share my reason for having hope.

For most people who meet you and me, it isn’t anything we might say or do that will influence and change their hearts. It is the way we live and lead our lives. People are watching us and looking to see if Jesus really makes a difference for us personally. We may never know if or when we will make a difference, but it depends on how we carry ourselves that gives us the ability to speak into situations and people’s lives.

God wants to use you. You may not feel qualified or ready for service. He just needs you to be available. My pastor often says if we are willing, then let God take care of the rest. He doesn’t need you to be perfect. He needs you to be genuine. You will have good days and bad days, but do you live humbly, full of grace and mercy, and make people feel like they can approach God, with whom you have a personal relationship?  That’s all it takes.

God needs you. You might be the very person who will share your life and faith with someone’s son or daughter and be the answer to many prayers. Opportunities happen almost every day. There are brokenhearted people who need to know that a loving God really exists and cares about them.

I want to encourage you to look at the people in your life differently. They need you to be a light in their darkness. God wants every person to be saved. He needs you to be real, your genuine self. Live, love, cry, laugh and just be available to the people around you. They’ll see that beautiful, attractive light in you and if their heart is open you might get the highest privilege of all…introducing them to your heavenly father.

Contact Doug Creamer at P.O. Box 777, Faith, NC 28041 or doug@dougcreamer.com