seeing clearly

People are astonished when you remember their names, especially in the fast-paced suburban areas of our world. We live in a world where people rarely stop to meet each other, much less allow such a meeting to have a significant impact upon their lives. That’s why I keep one of these in the glove-box of my car.  It’s just a simple journal-like notebook, but it allows me to jot down the names of each person I meet throughout my week.

Here’s how it works:

• Each establishment I frequent gets a page in the journal.
• On each page, I write down the person’s name that I met, along with any pertinent information, such as — believer or unbeliever — the date when we met — any mutual friends — any particular matter we “connected” on.
• I then review the names the next time I go to that restaurant, coffee shop, store, gas station, fishing spot, etc.
• I pray through the list regularly, asking God to open their hearts to the gospel and to give me more opportunities to share it with them.

This method helps me to follow the example of Paul in Acts 17:16-17, daily meeting people in the marketplace and then enjoying ongoing relationships that lead to gospel-focused conversations.