48 Minute Challenge...

Since Josh and Kelley were really pushing the adults to a 48 hour challenge like the youth received at Dare2Share, I would like to begin pushing you all to do the same by sharing my experience.

Within 30 minutes of the challenge, the church received a phone call on what I thought was a non-functional phone in the kitchen. People passed the phone call around until it got to me and I took the gentleman's phone number and then called him back on my cell phone from the sanctuary where I could hear him.

His name was Charles Kelly and he had a speech impediment and a back problem from a work injury. He was wanting to drive his family to South Carolina that afternoon in order to surprise his mother-in-law for her birthday the next day and was going through the yellow pages calling churches for gas money.

The more I listened to this man, the more I knew that he had called the church at that time for a reason. He wanted $40 which I didn't have. I put him through a few tests to determine if he was telling the truth about the trip to SC. I told him that after he was all packed with his family, that I would meet him at the intersection of Richmond Road and I-75 so that he wouldn't lose any time coming from the North side of town.

Then came my opportunity to beat the 48 minute challenge, I asked him if he knew Jesus and he said "yes". I then asked him why his church wasn't interested in helping him get to SC. He told me that he used to go to church on Liberty Road but one time he inquired of his pastor about a trip to Promise Keepers and he was told he couldn't afford it. He hasn't been back to any church since.

Charles called me back at 5:15 to let me know that he was packed and ready to leave and he wanted to meet me at Walmart on Richmond Road so that I wouldn't have to drive as far. I told him that I had to take my kids to church at 5:30 so he could meet me there. ( God's plan, not mine)

I was hoping to drop off the kids and then go to the bank to get some money, but Charles and his family pulled into the church parking lot right behind me. I explained to him that I only had $20 so if he had an empty gas tank, I would pay him in gas at the gas station down the road.

While we were pumping gas, I had the chance to invite Charles, his wife Rebecca and his son Bobby to church when they return to Lexington since they know where it is and they know that we care.

Please keep Charles and his family in your prayers. I have his phone number so I will be calling him again.