A Beat of Courtesy

Just a beat of courtesy

Just a beat of courtesy does not look like much, or something important in our work of evangelism… may be is not even a thing to share in our prayer letters, but more and more I am realizing than before being able to present the Gospel, I just have to show a beat of courtesy.

I came back from a busy day and as I parked my car my neighbor was cleaning up the yard. He has cut a lot of grass and he was quite overwhelmed by the work. I stop and helped him for a while picking up the leaves and grass and put it in a bag… nothing special, just courtesy but that developed into a conversation about our Christian live.

Sunday evening we were returning from a walk after the evening service. We stop to chat with a old lady from our neighborhood, she had broken a leg and had a cast in her leg. She was waiting sited in a car a she was waiting for her daughter to call for help as she needed to go to her apartment in the second floor, without an elevator… I offered myself to help her climbing the stairs. While we were doing so she started talking to me about what we were and how we had such a good reputation, we were “good folks” she said… I never talked with this lady before, but she certainly knew of our Christian live and church… it was nothing special, but she and her daughter heard about the Gospel.

Yesterday I was walking around the fields that surrounded Castellbisbal for my daily walk… I saw a farmer and he began to talk to me, he was quite angry because the wild boars were eating his vines and fruits.  I presented myself and he said “oh yes, I know who you are… you have a nice family…” I helped him to put a fence to protect his garden; we walked for two hours and he showed me his farm while we talk… it was nothing special just a beat of courtesy.

Much of our daily ministry is full with this small things trying to “preach” with our doings more than with our words, but that is what has opened the ears of our neighbors to listen to our faith in Christ. I share this not to say that I am someone special, or perfect, just to share with you how we preach the Gospel to a people that has been hardened against Christ in a strong Catholic culture. Please pray for my neighbors, Vicens Roig, Quino, Gloria and her daughter Elisenda.