The simple, unassuming and authoritative nature of the book changed my life

A while ago, we received an email from Hayden* who lives Down Under in Australia. His story was a good reminder of two important factors in our outreach with others. First, our testimony in a community really does have an impact—for better or for worse. Second, we were reminded that simply giving a book away can also make a big difference in a person’s life.

Hayden shared how he had grown up attending church with his family, one of the few in his small community. While he was taught a lot about the Bible, he found himself ultimately rejecting God’s Word based upon what he saw in the lives of his fellow church members.

“I didn’t see the face of Christ in that place and the fruitlessness—in both numbers and maturity—was very confusing.”

Because the truths of the Bible didn’t seem to be working in either his own life or in the lives of those around him, Hayden found himself spurning its message.

Then at the age of 21, Hayden was handed a book. “I was given a copy of The Stranger. The simple, unassuming and authoritative nature of the book changed my life and gave me—for the first time—an understanding of the redemption story.”

Since then, Hayden has taken others through the message found in the The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, finding it effective with both believers and unbelievers.

In his email, Hayden shared how both his and his wife’s grandfathers were failing in health. Both were very hostile to the message of the Bible and refused to have any conversation about it. Hayden shared how he hoped they would be receptive to receiving copies of The Stranger to read on their own.

Hayden knows from personal experience that sometimes the Lord uses such simple acts of obedience to bring about a big change—a change that can make a difference for eternity.

(*Name changed as per GoodSeed policy.)

Photo credit: Australian geotag! by Tatters is licensed under CC BY 2.0