Chris is a friend and brother in the Lord. He is an electrician and his wife is a fulltime caregiver to Alicia’s, ninety-year-old grandfather. Chris is quiet and humble with the heart of a servant, yet his presence in any situation is one of peaceful strength.
Though I had met Chris on a few occasions, I did not really get to know him until he and his wife became involved in the ministry of Grace Babies’ Home. I was so thankful when Chris offered his services to wire the building; but it was not until he was well on his way into the project that I understood what a godsend he really was. Chris’ impeccable work is a testimony to his desire to honor God with all of his life.
On one of his earlier trips to GBH, I got a glimpse into Chris’ passion for Jesus. When I tried to pull up the border wait on my phone so I could tell him if it was a good time to be crossing back into the States, Chris told me that the long border waits were a highlight of his trips. He showed me a big box of waters he had in his backseat with a stack of tracts. He explained that during his waits in line, he passes out water, tracts, and Christian CDs while telling people about Jesus.
A few days ago Chris was down working at GBH. When he was packing up to leave I found his hat and sunglasses and stuck them in the window to his car. Shortly there after, when he came looking for his hat, I explained that I had left it in his car. When we saw that the sunglasses were there but the hat was gone, I remembered a group of young kids who had just walked past and stalled by Chris’ car. I apologized for the fact that the kids had likely stolen his hat and it was gone.
Yesterday I got an email from Chris titled “hat ministry” in the subject line. He told me that on his way out of the neighborhood yesterday, he did cross paths with the young kids who stole his hat. When Chris stopped to confront the kid wearing his hat, he explained that he (the boy) wasn’t able to steal the hat, because he (Chris) was giving it to him - in Jesus name. He explained what the “Not Of This World” logo meant and told the kid that he too could have a home in heaven. Chris also gave the kids some tracts and CDs. He ended his email saying he prays that every time the boy wears the hat, he remembers that Jesus loves him.
When I thought about this “hat ministry”, and the possible, eternal significance of a hat given, I realized that the hat only became a tool for ministry once it was freely given. Until the hat was given it was just a hat, but once given over to the use of the Lord, it was used to touch hearts. Ministry in its purest form is giving of oneself – whether it is our resources or our time and talent. It is only after we choose to give freely that God can then use what was given to reach, touch and heal the lost. The extent to which God uses us and our worldly possessions to further His Kingdom is the extent to which we are willing to give it all to Him. I wonder how many "hats" I have in my life that sit powerless, waiting to be used to touch lives – waiting until I freely give them to God.
