My wife Wendy and I know a woman in our neighborhood who, because of her success and family background, always was intimidating to me. Very friendly, always, but, I’m ashamed to admit, even though I share the Gospel all the time, I was nervous about bringing it up with her. She comes from an atheist family and I assumed she would consider Jesus Christ irrelevant. Yet, God was stirring in her heart and mind beyond what I could see.

One day we ran into her at the park. As we chit-chatted and the kids played, my wonderful wife shared about a life struggle she was going through and mentioned she believed that God answers prayers. Well, that one comment opened up a flood of questions storing up in her heart. She told us later that she had dreams of God calling out to her. She happily accepted the invitation to join a Bible study and soon gave her life to Christ. Now I see her family every Sunday at church. Christians often quote the verse in Romans: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel…it is the power of God unto salvation.”

I had let intimidation steal my courage to speak out the Good News. I forgot that the Holy Spirit goes far ahead, and that the message itself carries the power. Remembering that will encourage us more than anything as we reach our world.

This is Andrew Palau.