Please don’t go to the Bible study!

Some years ago, Kathy* was puttering around in the garden one afternoon when a couple on the sidewalk approached her. In the conversation that ensued, the two strangers quoted some Scripture verses. Kathy was excited. For some time, she had been longing to learn more about God but she didn’t have a clue where or how to get more information. Now, here were two people who were willing to share about the Bible!

Upon their return visit, Kathy invited the couple into her home and had a long conversation with them. She was keen to learn more and enjoyed the time together so much that she invited them over for a third visit. On that occasion, the couple invited Kathy to a Bible study.

“Well, I had no idea such a thing existed!” said Kathy. “I’d never heard of a Bible study before.” Later that day, she told her daughter Chelsea* about the opportunity. Chelsea, who was not a believer, was suspicious. When Kathy expressed interest in joining the study group, Chelsea cautioned her mom not to be so hasty. Kathy, however, was eager to learn more. So Chelsea asked, “If I can find some other material about the Bible that you can read, would you agree not to go to this study?” Kathy replied that the teacher didn’t matter, she just wanted to learn.

The next day at the pharmacy where she worked, Chelsea approached her colleague, Jane, who happened to be a pastor’s wife. Chelsea explained what was going on with her mom and asked Jane if she could recommend something for her mother to read. Jane knew of just the right book. She brought to work a copy of The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, including its workbook, and handed both to Chelsea who then passed them on to Kathy. Jane’s instructions were simple: read a chapter of the book, do the related questions in the workbook and then go on to the next chapter.

Kathy said of the book, “It changed my life!” Before long, she wanted to meet Jane and the two women became fast friends. Kathy became a believer and it wasn’t long before she began attending Jane’s church.

“I love going to church and I can’t get enough of what the Bible has to say,” said Kathy. “I am very thankful for The Stranger. Since I’ve read it, I’ve been passing out copies for others to read.”

When Kathy shared her story with us, we were amazed at the work God had done in her life. The chain of people that brought the gospel to her was astonishing. The simple act of Jane giving away a book that explained the gospel played a part in Kathy being able to put her trust in Jesus for salvation. We thank God for this and we continue to pray for Kathy’s daughter who, at the present, is still not a believer. Perhaps one day soon, she will also read the book that she delivered to her mother.

(*Names changed as per GoodSeed policy.)