Don Gosset recounts a story from his childhood in his book, There’s Dynamite in Praise, that goes something like this. During the Great Depression his dad, like so many others, was out of work. He had a job offer in another town so the family moved, but soon that job fizzled out. They were left with just enough bus fare money for his wife and two children to return home.
“But how will you get home?” his mom asked with concern in her voice.
“Don’t worry. I’ll hitch hike,” Dad replied confidently.
So with a heavy heart Mom and the kids boarded the bus. When they reached the edge of town little Donnie caught a glimpse of his dad along side of the road, thumb out, looking for a ride. The excitement overtook him and he rushed to the window pointing and yelling to the other passengers, “There’s my daddy.”
His mother was embarrassed but that didn’t stop Donnie who kept saying with the openness of a child and the love in his heart for his father, “That’s my daddy!” He was intent on everyone on the bus knowing that was his dad!
In our Christian walk, I wonder if we aren’t more like the mother in this story than the child, just a little embarrassed. Instead of sharing all the wonderful things God, our Father, our Dad, does for us we try to stay incognito, almost fearful that someone will find out who we really are. I’m not saying we should cram Jesus down everyone’s throat but when the occasion arises, and it will, especially if we are looking for an opportunity to point people to God, we shouldn’t shy away from it. Of course, if God the Father has done nothing for you, you have nothing to share. But I suspect He has done plenty.
The funny thing is, God is not embarrassed to be our Father and He probably should be. However, many times we act as if we are embarrassed to be associated with Him. You know, evangelism doesn’t have to be some dreaded, arduous chore. Sometimes it can be as easy as pointing to heaven and saying, “He’s my Dad!”
