Costco. The returns counter. Slimy carrots and never-ripened Kiwis. Chris the returns taker. A million dollar bill gospel tract.

Chris said that he awoke that morning feeling like he sinned too much. I gave him the bad news and the good news. He repented right at the returns counter! I asked him to pray for forgivness in his own words and he did right there—in front of the customers and everyone in line. I looked around as he was praying—quite a long and heart-felt prayer at that—and no one was paying any attention. It was like we were in a vacuum, a spiritual bubble. I tried to scare Chris out of his commitment by warning him that, “People will betray you and persecute you for your faith; sometimes there is lots of trouble. You have to know that you are coming to Christ for forgivness of sins—nothing else, everything else is just gravy.” He understood and there was no turning back. He even committed to coming to my church on Friday night. The hounds of Heaven got their prey. As we said goodbye, Chris made a wise observation: “God allowed those carrots to get spoiled just so you could be here tonight!”
Amen.
-SS