The Accidental Evangelists
A Funny Yet True Story About Doug's Music

It Takes Love - is a kid's album Doug did for Campus Crusade for Christ. The following is a letter received from the Close family who owns this album...

   We went camping up in the San Bernadino mountains over Memorial Day. As we were sitting in the lovely inland empire traffic mess, Douglas (our five year old son) wanted to listen to his It Takes Love tape on the stereo. So Kitty (mom) dutifully put it into the tape player but we couldn't get any decent sound to come out in the back part of the motor home for the kids to listen to. We had to turn it way up for them to hear anything. I made a mental note to figure out what was wrong when we arrived at our campsite.

We have a feature on the motor home which allows us to get music outside when you are sitting under the awning, etc. I had been playing with that system in the driveway earlier in the day when we were packing.

Well, it turns out I hadn't flipped the switch back to inside, so while we were sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, the Closes were doing our best imitation of the Jesus bus blaring "I am I am F-O-R-G-I-V-E-N, I am I am F-O-R-G-I-V-E-N..." (one of the songs from the album)

I think you get the picture.

I now think I know why all of the cars on our right hand side were looking at us funny as we sat in the traffic.

That's us, the accidental evangelists...

"I Forgot"

     On the first Friday of each month my three children join the other kids of Canvas (our home school support group) for what we call, "Ministry Day". I usually tag along. Sometimes they even allow me to lead a little bit. Last Friday (Feb 7) we headed out to a convalescent home to make some tissue flowers to present to the residents, sing them a few songs, visit a little and hopefully bless 'em a lot!

     Just as the sign language class finished singing and signing Jesus Loves Me, I heard from the front row, "I forgot!" You know how it is in an old folks home - it seemed to be one of those awkward moments we had just earlier explained to the children might happen. A little later I heard her say it again, "I forgot!" This time a little louder with a little more intensity. Soon I was kneeling down in front of her with Annie (one of my young friends from Canvas) at my side. I asked her, "What did you forget?" Inside I was smiling with anticipation of what we might hear... "I forgot", she said while holding her hand up over her watery eyes with one of those grandma-type gestures. Then she continued, "I forgot. When I was a little girl at Bible class, I asked Jesus into my heart...I forgot." I was still under the impression that maybe she was at the age of forgetting a lot of things, but as we talked on about her life, I discovered she's just like me.

     For you see, I too forget that Jesus loves me and I too forget that I have asked Him "into my heart." It seems that she hasn't thought about it for 60 or 70 years and my memory lapses are a bit shorter, but they are there just the same.

     Well, I'll never forget seeing the tear of that old forgetful lady hitting Annie's shoulder during their hug, while she was remembering the love of God - and it will forever remind me, "Yes, Jesus loves me..." And not only does the Bible tell me so, but little children tell me so and old ladies tell me so. Any time you want, you may tell me so. Who knows it might come just at one of those moments in my life when I'll respond with an honest to goodness, thank you for throwing water in my soul's face, "I forgot!"