Tony and I visit Orr’s Farm Market on Saturdays. We especially love all the fresh produce, you know, apples, peaches, fresh veggies. But, just to be honest, that’s not at all why we go. They have a killer Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie –that’s why we go, straight up! Over the course of a few years, we’ve become familiar with some of the folks who work there. We don’t know everyone’s name, but we know their faces, we stop and talk. It’s kind of like Facebook friends without the Facebook — Farm Market Friends, I guess. Certain of them we seek out for their advice on the best peaches for canning, the newest you-pick fruit, the timing of other produce, you know just general farmer’s market advice.
One Saturday a few weeks ago as we were next in line at the register the cashier was talking with the folks in front of us. I wasn’t paying too much attention to the conversation until I heard the word that caught my ear – Jesus. There is just something about that name…
I didn’t catch the whole of the conversation, but it was more than obvious that the cashier was witnessing to the customers about Jesus. That moved me in so many ways. Am I alone in my struggle to reach out to others about Jesus? You know, finding the right words, finding the right timing, trying not to be awkward? (Trying to control the witness?) The interesting thing is that there was another time we had overheard her as she walked by with a customer telling of her church’s belief in the healing power of prayer. What I noticed most about this believer was her sincerity. She was genuine. Her love for Christ beamed for all to see. It was the perfect example of how we are to spread the Gospel.
We were next in line and I so appreciated her lesson to me on evangelism and I so appreciate her love for Christ, that I wanted to say something to her, without sounding like the creepy eavesdropper, of course. I simply said to her I love your witness. Her perfectly serious-faced response floored me and over the past few weeks, there hasn’t been a day go by I haven’t thought of what she said. It’s almost haunting.
She said – I would be remiss if I did not. It struck me at the time, but it has struck me even more since then, kind of like a dagger.
I looked up the definition of remiss. You know it’s one of those words you know but you don’t know what it means? Or, you think you know what it means and it could mean something totally different? Or, you use it in a sentence and people look at you either because they don’t expect it to come out of your mouth or, because you have used it in the wrong context. Anyway…
Remiss means – negligent, careless. She said I would be remiss if I did not. I would be negligent. I would careless. Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch! That definition from my Farm Market Friend’s statement, when I really think about it, breaks my heart. Jesus died on the cross for me. Jesus died so I could be free, no longer held captive to sin’s hold. Jesus died so that I could live eternally. Jesus died because He loves me so much. Jesus died with me on His mind. Jesus died with you on His mind.
In light of what He has done for me, she’s spot on right! I would be remiss if I did not, we would be remiss if we did not speak the name of Jesus to anyone and everyone we come into contact with. I seem to be able to prattle on about absolutely everything else, but the thing that is absolutely most important — the fact that I have a Savior who changed my life, who washed me clean, who made me new, who adopted me into the precious family of God. Even me! I would be remiss..
I’m praying that I never forget what He’s done for me, and going forward that I am not remiss. The words to this song play over and over in my mind, they’re an amazing reminder.