Invite

Sarah changed my life forever. It was 18 years ago that she invited me to go to a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Drake University. I liked her and trusted her. I wasn’t sure about the whole God thing. But I thought I would give the FCA a try. Being an introvert, it was a little awkward. Especially, at first. The people were nice enough. The lesson we learned was helpful. I had fun. I decided to go back. And then went back again. A few months later, I embraced that God created me and loved me. It was a simple invitation by a simple person to an even more simple person. I think about how my life changed because of Sarah.

There are some things you need to know about Sarah:

• She wasn’t a super psycho Jesus freak. She simply was growing in her journey with God and genuinely cared about me.
• She didn’t know everything about the Bible or theology or the church. She just invited me and let me decide for myself.
• She wasn’t pushy or high pressure.
• My life is different now. It’s much better as well. Not perfect. Not without set-backs. Not without questions. But it is different and better. Thanks to a simple invitation.

I encourage you to be:

• An inviter.
• A seed planter.
• A fire starter.
• A hope peddler.
• A grace giver.
• A risk taker.
• A dream builder.

Think about somebody you know that isn’t connected to a local church. Make a simple invitation. Invite a guest here. The person may say a simple, “No thanks.” But you may get a “yes” and that “yes” may change somebody’s life forever - all because you were faithful!