One of the lessons I have learned the hard way is that those to whom God would have us witness do not always look or act like us. Often, they are those who might otherwise make us uncomfortable or from whom we might tend to shy away. But God never makes mistakes, and sometimes we are just the right people to share His love, even if we can't imagine how or why.

I learned this lesson about three years ago. It was before I got married, when I was living in a small apartment building about ten miles from where we live now. On this particular day, I got into my car, only to find it as dead as a doornail. I turned the key, but I didn't even get a grunt. Assuming that the battery had gone dead, I went back into the building to find some help.

The apartment manager wasn't home, and the only person around was the very burly, wild-haired man who lived in the apartment below. On that day, he happened to be wearing a Vietnam POW T-shirt. He was imposing, to say the least, but he immediately came out and placed the cables between his car and mine. He revved his engine, but nothing happened. He revved again — nothing. No matter what he did, my engine did not respond. In the meantime, I had the distinct feeling that God wanted me to share Christ's love with him.

“But God,” I protested. “He probably thinks I'm a kid. What could I possibly say? Besides, I'm kind of scared of him.”

A Little Godly Tampering

After about 15 minutes, the conversation was winding down, and so was his patience. Feeling helpless and frustrated, I looked down at the car alarm I had turned off months before. I immediately saw the problem. It had mysteriously turned itself back on. I punched in the code, stepped on the gas, and the engine roared to life. My heart sank. I apologized profusely or bothering the man, but in my heart, I knew that it had not been an accident. God had created an opening for me, and I had blown it.

I prayed, asking the Lord's forgiveness. “If you give me another chance,” I said, “I won't blow it again. I promise.”

A few weeks passed. It was Valentine's Day, and my husband-to-be had told me that he had a surprise for me. I was to meet him at his house, and please, he said, don't be late. It was a long work day and I was, in fact, running late. I was almost ready to go, but I wanted to put my laundry in the dryer first. As I walked out the door into the hallway, the door blew shut. I hadn't brought my key, and when I tried the door, it was locked. In a panic, I ran to my neighbor to call the landlord, to see if he would drive over and let me in. The neighbor suggested that I check with the new building manager instead.

“The new building manager?” I repeated. “I didn't know we had someone new.” I was assured that, yes, the landlord had asked the man in the basement apartment to take the job. The new apartment manager was none other than the burly man with whom I'd blown a witness opportunity a few days earlier.

God's Second Chances...for Both of Us

I resolved to accept the situation with good humor and headed downstairs. I began to laugh to myself. “Yes, Lord. You are testing me, aren't you? I asked You for a second chance, and now, as I'm about to be late for my date, You want to know how badly I meant it!”

The burly man was home, and he gladly let me into my apartment. I used the opportunity to joke about my absent-mindedness — first the car, now this — and how, today of all days, I would lock myself out my apartment, but in His goodness, the Lord made sure that he was there to let me in. Wasn't God good? The burly man wasn't sure. It turned out, he had many struggles in his life, including the recent loss of his father, and he was hurting and feeling alone. He used to believe in Jesus, he said, but his pain had caused him to drift away. He felt that God had abandoned him.

I assured him that God had not abandoned him, that Jesus never leaves us nor forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5). Even in our moments of seeming deepest and darkest despair, He is there, comforting and guiding us, if only we will lean on Him. I encouraged this hurting man and prayed with him, and I could see that it made a difference. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, it was God's idea, and His timing.

I raced to my husband-to-be's home, 20 minutes late. The surprise was dinner theater that night, something he knew I loved. At first, he was hurt and angry at my tardiness; then I explained what had happened and his anger melted away. We raced to the theater, where to our amazement, we found that the show had been delayed. It, too, was 20 minutes late! By the time we took our seats, the curtain opened — the timing couldn't have been better.

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