Fully Alive

I have always felt a bit funny giving Fully Alive to people I meet. It is incredibly awkward to say, "Would you like to read the book I wrote?" It feels so pious, proud, etc. Last night, however, the opportunity presented itself and I couldn't resist... I stopped by the bank to use the ATM. Unfortunately for me the bank I chose did not have a drive-thru machine (it was 12 degrees last night!). As I was getting my cash out of the ATM, a guy I was having casual chit chat with shocked me with this question: "I know this may seem kind of personal, so don't feel you need to answer. But do you believe in God and Jesus Christ?" Wow! Talk about opportunity. I told him that I very much believed in God and Jesus Christ. He then asked me, "At one point did you start believing, or were you just raised up in Christianity?" I answered this question and he began to share with me how he used to struggle with drugs, theft, and anger. He has been seeing a Psychiatrist and doesn't feel like that is helping. He said that he had a friend that told him that Jesus would help him. He told me that he used to say forget God and forget Jesus and he didn't even believe God existed. But for some reason lately, he is starting to believe God is real. At this moment I remembered I had a copy of Fully Alive in my glovebox. I went to my car, grabbed the book, and told him the book tells my spiritual journey and why I believe God is real. I told him God is working in His life and to keep asking questions. We had to go our separate ways so I drove off. As I sat in my car I remembered what a brother in Christ told me via a voice mail message concerning Fully Alive. He said, "By the Spirit of God I want to tell you something Jamie. Fully Alive wasn't written for everyone, but it was written for someone." I hope that "someone" was my ATM buddy from last night.