The Pregnancy Test

Last week I was at a church located in a different state. The church had a real heart for reaching the lost, and I had even noticed a sign out front of the church that said "Free Pregnancy Test" with an arrow pointing in a door.

The evening service was going to be starting in about an hour or so, and I was visiting with the Pastor and a few others. Right then someone walked up and said, "Pastor, there is a very young couple here who would like a pregnancy test." The Pastor said that all of the regular volunteers were already gone (they usually take the sign in when they leave) and he also called his wife: she wasn't available to come to the church right then. The Pastor asked a few of the ladies who were standing there if they would be willing to help the young lady with the pregnancy test, and he said to make sure they also shared the gospel with her. He said it works best to separate the couple (even though it can be hard for the couple to be apart), and that someone else could spend some time talking with the young man. No one was readily volunteering (there weren't many others around), so I said that I would.

We went inside and found a very young couple (she was 17 and he was 18) who were nervously waiting in the hallway. We introduced ourselves and the young man and I went into a side room and sit down to visit for awhile. We started with some small talk (backgrounds, current jobs, family info, churches, etc.) and then I transitioned into spiritual things.

He attends a local "church", but it's not a Bible-believing or Bible-preaching church. He is going through the process to join the church. When I asked what he believes a person can, or must do, in order to spend an eternity in heaven, he wasn't sure. Perhaps confess his sin and pray?

For the next 15 minutes we had time to simply talk about salvation and review God's Word. I didn't press him to make a decision as it didn't seem he was under any conviction (no signs of repentance), and the last thing I would want to do is encourage someone to say a prayer, and then slap him on the back and say "You're saved!"

Eventually the ladies walked into the room and the conversation immediately ended; obviously, he (and his girlfriend) were there for a reason, and he hadn't forgotten the reason.

The pressure of the situation that God was using in this young man's life was diffused by the results of the test.

As I've thought back to that time I've though of a number of things that I probably should have shared with him or talked directly about. But the whole time I was talking with him I had been crying out to the Lord wanting Him to direct the conversation – so I rest in Him, that despite my weakness in being a "rookie" in such a sharing situation, may He use what was shared. And, looking back, I'm so grateful for the opportunity the Lord gave to share with him, and I hope and pray that he thinks about the verses in God's Word that we looked at.