This past week I met a man named Able in Massachusetts, if you were to see him coming at you down the street, you would try to avoid him. He was Latino and had tattoos from head to foot, gold chains and a very piercing look.

We were parked next to each other and I asked him how things were going since he also was driving an expediter van.

I ended up speaking to him for almost three hours as we were swapping stories about our lives. He has 2 boys the same age as ours, been married for over 20 years and lives in South Florida. He was a truck driver for the post office until he was hurt in an accident and he couldn’t say 2 words without a cuss word to break up the boredom!

I told him about myself and the things I’ve done and about being a pastor for 17 years and he asked me why I quit the church, (he’s catholic). To him if you stop being a priest, you leave the church.

I told him I didn’t leave the church, that I was saved and still preached when I have an opportunity, and my relationship with Christ isn’t based on the church but his grace.

To him salvation is in the church, but he didn’t want to talk about it and quickly changed the subject, and that was fine, I don’t believe in shoving things down someones throat. The Spirit will convict and move when he knows the time is right.

Well you might think that I would never speak with him again, oh contrare! He got ahold of the company that I’m contracted with and got my cell number and called me the next morning! I was shocked to say the least, especially since my company is not to give out any personal information, but he convinced them that he needed to speak with me, but it wasn’t about the Lord, it was about starting his own business.

Although Able looks like a gangster and I must have looked like a cop standing there talking with him, you talk about two completely different characters!

And yet, he was one of the nicest men you would ever meet. I’ve actually spoken with him three times now on the phone, you’ve got to turn a deaf ear to all the cussing and he definitely needs the Lord but you can’t help but like the guy.

But Able is really the same as everyone else, when you peel off the menacing outer shell, he has fears and doubts as everyone. Questions about how to take care of his wife and family, anger at our government who are stealing and destroying our nation and wanting to stop them.

Questions about his future as he’s getting older and how can he make it when his lifes savings are gone.

I did try to be a witness throughout our conversations and I hope that when we talk in the future (and I know we will) that the Lord will give me opportunity to give the gospel as he leads me.

Don’t let looks of a person scare you off from starting a conversation, you might be surprised at what doors the Lord may open.

And some of the things they may say might make you laugh, when I told Able that I was a preacher, he said “You don’t look like a preacher!” in that Spanish accent!

I asked him, what is a preacher suppose to look like?

He said, I don’t know, but you look just like a regular guy!

I had to laugh, he is use to seeing his Priest in his robes and looking all regal, I was just a regular guy.

Thank God that I simply walk where he walks and have the same struggles that he has, but I’m thankful that the Lord saved a regular guy, and I hope that Able will see that Jesus is able to save him.

I’m hoping that the Lord can use me as a witness as I travel over this country, Jesus said go out there where the unsaved are and compel them to come in, “that come in” is into the family of God.

Perhaps I spent too many years in the church when I should have been out in the field.