A friend of mine posted some pictures today of Seaside, FL - which reminded me of my time in Panama City Beach, FL during the summer of 1999. One of my great friends from that summer (and there are so many that I am so thankful for) is a gal named Andrea. Her nickname was 'Ang' (with a soft 'a' and 'g'.) Like 'on-j.'
She is a delightful woman. Strong, fierce, BOLD, and loving. Look at that smile! My heart is warmed just seeing it.
She was a woman that during our summer together re-enforced that my high standards in guys was a good thing. She showed me how to really trust another person with my soul - she kept me accountable in a way no other person has ever done. She loved me. She is the only person I have ever known that has the true spiritual gift of evangelism. And walking beside her on the beach telling others of our Hope is something I will always remember.
I feel really compelled to tell this story, so I'm going to. It will be a long one, but I've got the time tonight. :)
On Summer Project, one of our activities was going out on the beach on Saturday afternoons and talking to people about spiritual things. We had surveys and other tools to use as a bridge into those conversations with people who were just hanging out. I am still just as amazed as I was then at how open people were to talking about God. Sure, we had people that did not want to hear what we had to say and we respected that. But most people really were eager to talk about their beliefs and to hear about ours.
We would gather as a large group (72 of us) and pray before we left. And then we would 'pair up' with another person before we hit the beach. Two-by-two we went out.
One of those Saturdays, I was paired with Ang.
I already knew her well. Though she was not one of my roommates, we worked together everyday and met frequently as accountability partners. I also knew her gifting.
As we entered the beach, we stopped to pray. I remember very clearly her asking God to allow us to share His gospel with 6 people that day. Six. That was actually quite a lot - but in Ang's eyes - it was an easy request.
I'm not going to get into the theological rightness or wrongness of praying for a specific # of people to talk to. This story is about 2 young girls and their hearts and how God spoke to us and used us.
Almost immediately, we saw a group of people sitting on a picnic table near a volleyball net. She asked them if they would like to know how to know God. They said 'yes!' Wow. Just like that - we were able to share the full gospel with 3 people.
Not 5 minutes later, we were able to share with another couple. I don't actually remember them or the circumstances. That memory was erased by the last encounter.
You'll understand in a minute.
We had one more person to talk to in order to meet our 'goal.' Storm clouds were brewing overhead and the sky began getting really, really dark. I think I told her that we should turn around and head back to the hotel, but she was insistent that we keep going. (This may not actually be true, but it's how I remember it.....and it seems like something I would have said.)
Then we saw a girl about our age sitting alone. We did not know it at the time but she was with her boyfriend and her young daughter - but they were off playing in the surf.
She was open to talking with us and Ang carried the conversation. I sat off to the side and prayed. Her response to Ang's question 'do you ever think about what will happen when you die?' was a quick and solid 'yes, I think about dying all the time.' That was a very different answer than most people give - especially someone young like her.
She explained that she was a single mother and she worried about what would happen to her daughter if she died. Who would take care of her?
Ang moved her through the tool that we used to share the gospel, the 4 Spiritual Laws, with urgency in her voice. This girl was looking her square in the eyes and listening and questioning with great intensity. It was amazing.
The reason it was so amazing is this: there was a man drowning 30 feet from us. And neither Ang nor the girl saw any of it.
I had my back to them - I was facing the ocean. I saw the whole thing. The girl was facing the same direction as me - and did not see it. Ang's back was to the ocean and did not see it.
It was awful.
An older man and his wife had been out on a float. With the storm coming, the waves picked up and the man fell off the float. His wife signaled for help and the lifeguards responded - including a jet ski buzzing right by us. About 6-7 people helped to drag the man to shore and they started CPR. I could hear the conversation that Ang and the girl were having - it was so intense. I was stuck in this weird place of wanting to draw their attention to the scene before me and praying that they were not interrupted before Ang could tell her the whole story.
The girl's boyfriend and daughter saw everything, and for some reason, he stayed away and let them keep talking, as well.
It was raining ALL around us. But it was not raining on us.
The fact that the conversation of those two was not thwarted by the sheer number of distractions that were happening around them is still one of the most faith-affirming moments in my life.
The curtain was held closed around them for just long enough.
Ang was able to tell this sweet girl how she could cross over to eternal life. She was not sure, she wanted to think about it some more. Ang handed her the booklet to take with her.
As the sobs and wails of the elderly woman grew louder in the realization that her husband was now dead, it started to rain.
The boyfriend and the girl's daughter came to her to leave the beach. Ang and the girl saw the scene and what was going on for the first time. It was a frantic moment. The ambulance pulled up. There was a large crowd. There was crying.
As they quickly gathered their things to go, Ang took the girl by the hands. She told her to look at what was in front of her - death. She told her that she was not promised tomorrow and she could die at any moment. She told her not to put God off for too long, for it might be too late.
Number 6 heard the story. The entire story. And then we went back home.
I can say with certainty that was the most intense spiritual moment of my life. Death and Life facing off in the great battle that is always raging just behind the veil. That day we asked to be on Life's team and I believe we both were changed as a result.
The pictures of us are 1) on Summer Project 2) at our second project reunion in Texas and 3) at our third project reunion in CO.
Andrea is all grown up and married to a wonderful man and they are expecting their 4th child. I certainly don't get to talk to her as much as I would like - and I think I am going to have to make it a priority to go out and visit her. :)
She is my sweet sister and I'm so thankful that I was privileged to walk beside her that day.
Love and miss you, Ang.
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