I wonder if I just wasted a bunch of money

(This post is part of our “Give away the gospel” series.)

Calvin* and a friend were going on a four-day road trip for a conference. They estimated that it would take four days by car to get to their destination and they planned on stopping for meals at diners and restaurants. As part of the trip, they loaded the car with copies of By This Name with the intention of giving them out at every place they stopped for food.

During each meal, they got into a conversation with the waiter or waitress who was taking care of them. At the end of each encounter, one of them would say, “I’ve really enjoyed our conversation. I would like to give you a book to read as a thank you.” And they would explain a little about “By This Name” before passing the waiter or waitress a copy. Out of 12 such conversations they had, 11 of them accepted the books.

When they had arrived home after the conference, Calvin shared his thoughts with another friend. “I don’t know if any of the people who took the books ended up reading through them and putting their trust in Jesus Christ for their salvation. I wonder if I just wasted a bunch of money.”

The friend looked him in the eye and asked, “If out of the 11 books your gave out, only two, or even just one person believed and received eternal life as a result, would you still have given out all 11 books?”

Calvin broke into a grin. “I sure would. It would’ve been worth it for just that one person!”

(* All names changed as per GoodSeed policy.)

Photo credit: Liz West on flickr