by: David W. Daniels

You know how people who fish often talk about, "...the one that got away?"
What about "the one I let get away?" It`s much harder to talk about those, because we are responsible for them.

On my vacation to Sequoia last week I met a family who went fishing. The whole day they only caught one fish —and it was the wife who caught it. But it was so small that they decided to throw it back.

Unlike fish, there is no person on earth that is "too small" for us to reach for Christ. We may be totally unworthy; but Christ died for every single one of us, even the ones who were at that moment crucifying Him.

He also died for the people eating lunch just two tables over from me.
Don`t get me wrong. I gave tracts to lots of people:

• To park rangers
• To cashiers
• To servers
• To the Jehovah`s Witnesses who offered me their books (You know who you are. Please read the tract I gave you and check out our website. Christ died to save you from hell and the lake of fire!)
• To families we met, while camping, while hiking
• To anyone I was able to strike up a conversation with, pretty much!

But that`s where I failed. Sure, I`m okay with people I talk to.
What about those two families at the two tables I couldn`t strike up a conversation with? I felt that tug in my heart: "Give it to them." And I strained my brain, thinking "How can I do this? I have to leave. Can I just hand it to them and move on?"

The truth is, all they can say is "Thank you" or "No, thank you." "Yes" or "No." But my brain went into overdrive.

The moment passed. I walked on by them, still feeling that tug, but I couldn`t even get out of my comfort zone for those two families for whom Christ died. If they ever see me this side of Judgment —"Guys...I`m sorry. Please forgive me." I prayed that someone else would reach them.

But God wanted me to reach them, at that moment, in that place. Whatever their response would have been was on them. But what I did, letting them get away, that was on me.

I didn`t make that mistake when I went door to door last Sunday. I kept remembering those two families, and the fact that on June 7, 1972, someone went outside his comfort zone for me, to give me a tract that pointed me toward eternal life.

I hope you will do better than I did. Have your Bible and tracts ready —and GET outside your comfort zone. You will feel SO much better in the end.

If you would like a wonderful book to help you get outside YOUR comfort zone, read The Watchmen by Mark Cahill. You`ll never feel the same way again about the lost souls around you, or the many ways you can use to reach them.