Reunited Through Christ

When I joined The Gideons International thirty years ago, it was to win men, women, boys, and girls to Christ. Soon after, I volunteered through my church to visit a housing project, Crawford Village. It was an area with many children. I volunteered to assist there with Bible school.

After Bible school one day, I was leaning against a wall, and a young boy named Marcus Jones came over. I gave him a New Testament and asked if he wanted me to go over it with him. He did, and he listened so attentively that we were there for a long time. We also went through the Plan of Salvation at the back of the Testament. I then decided to walk him home. As he ran into his house, he yelled, “Mommy, Mommy,” and began showing her the New Testament he had received.

I didn’t go back to the project for a long time, and I regretted that I didn’t return to mentor Marcus. Finally, I returned to look for him. I was certain I could find him since I knew his name, and he had a birthmark on his hairline with gray hairs, so I could easily describe him. As I asked some of the kids about him, one knew him and told me he had moved away sometime ago.

Twenty-five years passed, and one day I needed a photocopy of a document. My home copier was not working well, so I decided to go to my church. I like to witness to people I encounter, and as I drove to the church, I saw a man walking along the road. I felt I needed to talk to him. I turned at the next side street, and as he came by, I offered him a New Testament. I said, “Sir, you can’t go any further on Lincoln Way without a New Testament.” He told me he was a Christian and that he had a New Testament just like the one I offered him. He then said, “I will share it with another,” and asked if a map to my church was included in the New Testament. I suggested that he ride with me to my church since that’s where I was headed. Before we got in my car, I pointed out my license plate, “BIBLE 4 U.”

As we rode together, he explained that a man at Bible school gave him the New Testament he had many years ago, and afterwards, he became a Christian. I looked closely at him, and I said, “Is your name Marcus?” He said, “Yes.” Then, I saw that birthmark I remembered. I became so excited, I began to punch him in the shoulder as I told Marcus, “I gave that New Testament to you twenty-five years ago!”

We went on to my church and reminisced. I apologized to Marcus for not coming back sooner to see him and discuss what he had learned. Marcus said it was okay because his family moved to Texas soon after–where he grew up. He added that I had “planted the seed.” As we walked back to my car, I was walking on clouds—not asphalt.

I was so thankful to God that He allowed me to meet Marcus again after all these years. My twenty-five years of regret for not revisiting Marcus were finally relieved. And, I was glad I stopped to witness that afternoon. I Corinthians 3:6 says, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” We need to be encouraged to keep sowing seed, and God will give the increase.

Robert Cozad

White Oak, PA