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“...the stones will cry out!” This passage in Luke 19 burst to life in a whole new way this past summer. For a young man named “Josh,” his literal stone meant saying yes to Jesus and surrendering his life to Christ for the very first time! This God-sized story started two years ago on our spring break trip.
On that trip students were presented with an opportunity to respond to the Gospel by picking up a small rock and spending some quiet time on the beach. Students were encouraged to take their stone and throw it into the ocean, either yelling out their decision to follow Christ, asking for a renewed relationship with him, or saying “not yet, Jesus.” Josh did none of those things; instead, he stuffed the stone into his pocket and took it home.
As time went on, I continued to build a relationship with Josh, repeatedly sharing the Gospel. Each time he responded the same way with something like, “this God thing is just not for me.” Honestly, I had almost given up thinking he would never see his need for a Savior.
This past summer, Josh came on our “Christ in Youth Conference” trip. The first session gave the teens the same opportunity to make a decision to follow Christ. At the front of the stage sat a large empty basin with stones around it. Teens could make their decision about the Gospel known by coming to the front, grabbing a stone, and dropping it into the basin which would make a large boom throughout the stadium because of the microphone attached to it.
One evening Josh pulled me aside and showed me a stone he had in his pocket. He told me it was the one he took from the spring break trip two years ago! He brought the stone he picked up and set on his dresser two years ago, not knowing he would have a similar opportunity to say “Yes” to Jesus with a stone. That’s insanity, but God knows what he is doing! That trip he said “Yes” to Jesus and he dropped his stone from two years previous into the basin!
The stones “cried out,” and God continues to blow me away with how he works through all things to bring his children home. I cannot thank you enough for your support in helping Josh say “Yes!” Whose stone will cry out next?