I was still in High School. I’d been reading the Bible, and praying for quite a while, and God asked me to be his witness one day.
Part of my weekly routine was to go to Piano lessons at our church, Calvary Temple, in Down Town Winnipeg. It was a 15 km bus ride from our home on the outskirts of town.
Sometimes on my way home I’d buy a bag of Doritos and a V8 juice at the Macs store near-by the church.
God had been asking me to speak to others about my faith for a while before this one day, but as I left the Mac’s store, God asked me if today was the day.
Would I be his witness today.
I said, “Yes!”
Then there was this silence… as I walked along, munching on my chips. Forgive me, but I said, “What?!?” a little impatiently.
“Are you going to ask me?”
“Ask you what?”
“Ask me to send someone for you to speak to?”
“No, I will if someone comes along, but I’m not going to ASK you to send me someone… that’d be like asking to get punched in the face…”
I continued walking.
More silence.
Finally, I prayed,
“Oh, God, send me someone to speak about you with, give me the words to say, in Jesus name, Amen”
When I got to the corner of Portage and Carlton, I eagerly awaited for my opportunity.
Then some random sort of guy, sketchy, fidgety really, was all upset about some sort of commotion further up the road… I remember thinking…
“OK Lord! This is it! Lead me, guide me…” and I looked up the road and commented on it… and then noticed silence from my new friend, who had been standing behind me at that point… I turned around and he was a couple blocks away, walking in the other direction.
I thanked the Lord for the opportunity and get at peace.
“Phew! That was easy!”
Then I began to wonder what was going on over there… and I asked a person who was there beside me… which started a conversation that continued, and wow, they were catching the same bus as me… and when God came up in the conversation, I included him… and when it veered away, I let it… but then God came up again… and I saw that person on subsequent bus rides… I probably realized right then and there that this was the person he’d brought to me, but that was my baptism into witnessing for Christ in every conversation I have.
And at that time I had no inkling that one day the bus would be my domain for 32 years. It would eventually come to be Nick named “the Jesus Bus…” but that’s another story for another time.
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”
I Peter 3:15
Running Down Vimy 