Calves, Worms, and Evangelism

So yesterday, we got John's calf. We travelled out to a beautiful hilltop farm in Elliott County. John is working with Charlie Derrickson to learn about taking care of cattle. Mike King drove us out there because he had the only vehicle to get us out to farm if it was really wet.

This morning, John and I got up and went out to Charlie's farm to feed and water the calf (named “Buck.” I said we should name him T-Bone...) and also to let the calf get used to John working with it. I was surprised at how quickly John was able to get hold of the halter and put his hands on the calf. As we were leaving, John prayed a great prayer of thanks for getting his calf.

Thursday there was a really strong downpour. I was walking to the church and noticed in the gutter that a lot of worms were being tumbled along in the flow of water. I wondered if they were dead and just got swept up. When I came to a driveway, and the water spread out a bit before being forced back along the curb, I saw some worms crawling out of the water. No idea where they thougth they were headed.

But I was reminded of something my friend Starr Clay said one time, that has great wisdom and encouragement for evangelism. She said when she was a little girl that she always tried to save the worms that were stuck on pavement drying out after rain. She found out that you couldn't save all the worms.

This is definitely true in evangelism. First, a broken heart is cultivated in us for the people who do not know Christ, who will perish in everlasting fire without Him. And then, we set about sharing the life-saving knowledge of Jesus' atoning death and resurrection.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12) and “Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction” (Matthew 7:13).

But we face problems. No one seems to listen or care. They may not even appreciate the danger of a life lived apart from Christ. (This baffles us, because even the worms know to swim out of the gutter!) Or we find that if people do listen, no one is converted.

It can be discouraging. But if you went into it thinking you could save all the worms... We have to remember Jesus' words: “Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and few find it.”

So we do not lose heart. We do everything we can so that we might save some.