I have a younger half-sister who's 8 years old. I probably only see her and my dad about once a week. Last night, she slept over my mom's house with me. My dad's an atheist and my half-sister's mom is kind of lukewarm Christian I guess, so my half-sister (Maya) isn't really being raised in a Chritian home like I was with my mom and my step-dad. Whenever I see Maya, I try to share a little bit of my faith with her, when I can. I've found that one of the best ways to share my faith with her is through my actions. She asked me last night, "Haley, how are you always so nice?" I just smiled at her...it made me really happy to realize that my love for her and everyone around me was noticeable. It's like that quote, "Preach always, and if necessary, use words." I had been trying really hard to share the love of God with her through my actions, and I guess it worked!
Some of you already know this, but I wear a key around my neck that means that God is the key to life! Maya noticed my key a while ago, and I told her the story about how I got it and what it means (if you want to know how I got it just ask me!). She really liked the story. So when she slept over last night, she told me she really wanted a key she could wear too. I was so excited! I had a few keys in my drawer that I was planning on giving to her or my younger cousins if they asked for some. So now she wears a key that means that God is the key to life too! And she's a little girl who didn't even grow up in a Christian home! She told me that she's going to wear it everyday and won't ever lose it.
Then last night we were making bracelets, and Maya wanted hers to say "Peace of God." And then we were getting ready to go to bed, and she started asking me all these questions about God...and then she was looking at my pictures of my cabins from Sky Ranch on my walls, and she kept saying how much she wanted to go to Sky Ranch AND how much she wanted to start going to Church like I do.
I know my dad wont be happy when he sees her today with a key around her neck that means that God is the key to life and a bracelet that says Peace of God. But that doesn't matter at all because she is already really wanting a relationship with God at such a young age...it's so awesome! So I guess what I want all of you questers out there to realize is this...
Our efforts to share the love of God with other people can't just be with our friends at school. We need to be sharing God with EVERYONE! Our friends, our familys, random strangers, everyone. Especially with a younger sibling who knows nothing about God. And trust me quest, it's the best feeling in the world to know that you are making a difference in someone else's faith life. Our counselors must feel incredible all the time, in that case! haha :)
Love you all!
-Haley
Wow! that is awesome!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing that, its really encouraging!! I have some cousins who I don't think are Christians, and I didn't think I'd ever be able to make a huge difference. But this was a great reminder to be good witnesses because we can show Jesus to someone who doesn't know him through our actions. Especially the little kids who look up to us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting!!
Haley that is so cool!!! Maya is lucky to have you as a big sister :)
ReplyDeleteHayley! Your so cool! My grandpa tells me that constantly "Preach the gospel always and when necessary use words" and the key thing was so cool, i cant believe its really become such a big thing i still wear mine i have multiple ones! also you are so so right about that sharing with everyone
ReplyDeletetheres a story i heard about a man whos an atheist and he was just getting super frustrated with his friend who was a pastor and he said "you know if i was a christian i wouldnt even have a job i would be out on the streets telling everyone about Jesus trying to save their souls from hell, i dont see Christians doing that, does that mean they dont love others? or care? also, i dont understand why Christians pick who they want to share God with?"
I seriously like heard that story two years ago and that story still gives me goose bumps and totally changed my mentality about ministering and how to do it too! thank you for being such an awesome woman of the Lord and thank you for fulfilling his purpose and for furthering his kingdom here on Earth, you are one spectacular lady Hayley! and I know that you are going to do incredible things!
Thank you guys! :)
ReplyDeleteMadi...thank you for telling me that story! It's sooooo true. We can't pick and choose who we want to share God's word with! Thank you so much for everything you said! It really means a lot! But I definitely wouldn't be where I am right now in my relationship with God if it wasn't for quest...so thank you QUEST!!! :)
Hey Haley I pretty much was gonna say the same thing, but then i thought of something else that will hopefully make sense and encourage you even more in sharing your faith, because you're already doing an awesome job!! So, when I swim a longer race in swimming, my coaches tell me, "swim every 50 (lap of the pool) as an individual race." When I think and swim like that, I give all the energy and effort I have into each individual lap. It totally works! Now i'm not saying that I'm able to keep a strong, steady pace in every event I swim, but the more I try and work at it, the easier it becomes. Anyways, what I'm trying to get at is....minister to every person like it's your first.
ReplyDeleteThink about this: If you had just become a Christian, and you were filled with the greatest joy in your life you've ever known (which you pretty much are anyway!), and you felt unstoppable with Christ by your side, how awesome would it be to share that joy and love in your heart with someone?! So basically, when you share Christ with someone, try doing it like it's your first time. You have so much incredible joy bottled up and you just want to let it out!
Thanks alexa! That was awesome! In dance, my teachers always tell me to perform every dance like it's my last. So that analogy you gave me was really cool and easy to relate to...I'm going to work on doing what you said. But what I hope I can do is minister to EVERYONE in that way. Sometimes it's so much easier to share my joy with people who I know will take it well and who will want to be joyful too. But then there's always those people who say that that's the last thing they want is to hear about God and religion. I need to keep the joy and the message the same for all of these people!
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