When I Met Timothy

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”

1 Peter 3:15

Way back in my freshman year of college, I went on a summer project in Ohio with a college ministry called Campus Outreach. I will never forget that summer. I drove up into Sandusky, Ohio as a proud, know-it-all. I had taken a lot of pride in how well I thought I could "share the gospel". I thought I was hot stuff and I was going to prove it. But, God had some different plans for me.

As soon as I checked into my room I went out and started trying to mingle with students from the other colleges. However, I started to get really shy for some reason (this was not normal for me, I am pretty extroverted). I couldn't really talk to people. As the summer went on, things just seemed to get worse. First, I absolutely love my roommates from that summer, but we had a rough start getting along with one another. I had been so stuck in my selfish ways that I had not made much room for others or their stories. God had to dig a lot out of my heart for our friendships to grow. My job was also very stressful, I was an outdoor waitress at a busy water park (with no prior experience). I was afraid of going to work every day and I was getting panic attacks all the time. I wasn’t even motivated to share the gospel anymore! I went to summer project thinking that I could be anyone, make friends with anyone, and just be awesome all the time. Instead, I saw how my actions affect others. I saw my selfishness. I saw my love for this world. I saw my arrogance. I faced my sin head on and it was terrifying. Not to fret, God was working on His daughter.

So, here is where Timothy comes in (his actual name is not Timothy but I changed it for this post). Timothy lived in Sandusky and would visit the summer project students every year. He loved being with other believers and talking about his faith with us. Now, Timothy was a fast talker so sometimes he would talk and I wouldn't listen all the way. The few days I actually left my room to talk I would just nod my head and sit there. But, there was one day I was talking with Timothy and it was as if God was saying,”Gabrielle, listen to him, really listen.” So, I did. In that moment, Timothy was telling me he didn’t understand why God had made him the way that he was. He said he wasn’t cool. He didn’t fit in with the cool kids. I giggled and said that I didn’t fit there either. I told him that I didn’t think God sees us as cool or uncool; he doesn’t place us in a box at all. God created us each exactly the way we are, to fit His perfect plan. He smiled and kinda looked like he had gained some confidence and said,”Thank you Gabby, I’m going to think about that.”

The next day was awesome. Timothy came up to me and said,”Gabby we need to talk about what you said yesterday!” He went on to tell me that he was so happy about who God created him to be. He was different and unique but that meant he got to share God’s love with different and unique people. He got to love people who felt outcast and alone. He could relate to their feelings and share God’s love with them. He told me that he had been in the application process to work at a special hospital and he knew what God was calling him to do; to share God’s love in the most unlikely of places. I was so happy. I was so glad God had called me to genuinely listen to someone else. It helped me realize that if I had gone into project like a prideful little nerd, I don’t know if I ever would have taken the time to talk to Timothy.

Here is the second way God used Timothy to change my life. I talked with Timothy over the next few days discussing more about faith. One day I was talking to him about sharing the gospel and he said,” You know Gabby, sometimes you need to show people who God is instead of just tell them about Him. You ask people if you can pray for them and you love them and you show them.” I had never considered that before. He was right. Sharing the gospel was not just a matter of how many people I could tell it to. Sharing the gospel is so much more than that.

I can see Timothy as an angel, working to serve God in the humblest of ways and changing so many lives. From that day on I have changed the way I share the gospel. How does God want me to show it to my friend, my family, my co-worker? Do they need a meal, a prayer, a word of encouragement? What can I do to love you and show you what Jesus has done for me? Sometimes, it is just being a good steward of your time. Sometimes, it is just being steadfast in personal prayer. The question should not always be,” How can I share the gospel?” but,” How can I live my life to show others who Jesus is?”.

**Disclaimer: I am not saying that evangelism is wrong. Evangelism is a beautiful thing and it is biblical. What I am saying is that I had to change the way that I was going about it. Everyone’s story is different. It is just about what God is doing in your heart and that looks different for everyone.