By Jim Donohue

Water skiing can be scary.  You’re floating in dark water behind a powerful boat that’s revving its engines.  Two planks of wood are strapped to your feet and you are holding onto a rope attached to the huge motor.  Meanwhile someone is gently and soothingly encouraging you with the essential instructions to survive on the aforementioned wooden slats.  “Keep your ski tips up, bend your knees, lean back, keep your back straight and always remember to keep your elbows locked.”  As you desperately try to remember these tips, the soothing voice asks, “Are you ready?”  You give a tentative nod.  The soothing voice transforms into ferocious roar of  “HIT IT!!!!!!”

It can be a little unnerving. 

So, we were recently on vacation with another family.  Their 11 year old daughter, Zoe was getting ready to ski.  I was the soothing voice guy and was about to give her the long list of rules while the engines roared.  Then I pondered, “You know Zoe, water skiing is a lot like evangelism.  It is a little scary at first but once you get going it’s a lot of fun.” 

That’s been my experience when it comes to evangelism.  I always feel a hesitation at first.  The little voice in my head keeps saying, “I’m not sure this is a good idea!”  But then the Spirit inside of me says, “HIT IT!” and I end up opening my mouth.  The conversation gets going and is actually enjoyable.  In the two decades of my Christian life I have found that whenever I seek to share the gospel I am met with resistance and doubt.  I have never found a way to erase these feelings, I’ve just learned to overcome them.  And I’ve learned that there is some serious joy that comes when I overcome the flesh and obey God in evangelism.  It’s kind of like water skiing, it’s a little scary at first but once you get going it’s an incredible feeling to be skimming across the water with the wind in your hair.

Just this Tuesday Dave Harvey and I went to West Chester’s campus to share the gospel.  We got into a great conversation with a student named Martha, and a guy on a smoke break from his philosophy test.  When we had finished sharing the greatest news in the world with two people it seemed had never heard it before, joy filled our hearts.  We had just done what God created us to do in “testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”  I can honestly say that some of the most joyful moments in my life have been while sharing the gospel with lost men and women. 

So I yelled “HIT IT!” and Zoe popped up for a few seconds and then fell down.  I swam out, gave her a little encouragement, and then shouted again.  This time she popped up and skied around the lake with a huge smile on her face.   When she came back I gave her a big hug and said, “See, I told you it was wasn’t so hard.”