First a disclaimer. This is not an advertisement for CarMax. But if you are looking for someone who is interested in talking about Jesus, you might want to drop in.
As I was preparing to take a test drive at CarMax a few weeks ago, I got a phone call. I told Robert, my sales specialist, "I'm really sorry, but I have to take this." I ended up talking for 20 minutes while he waited in the car for me. I felt so bad. I kept thinking, "He probably has better things to do with his time." I hung up the phone and said, "Thanks so much for your patience – I had been waiting for that call all day. It was about one of my kids."
Robert asked how many kids I had, and I told him. He said he has two kids, one in middle school and one in high school. His oldest is a sophomore. We started to console each other on the challenges of teenagers, and then Robert said, "It's so important for me to be there for my kids and talk to them about the importance of emotional, mental, and spiritual health."
"Huh," I thought to myself, what an interesting thing to say.” Immediately my antenna went up, and I sensed the Holy Spirit saying, "That's your opportunity. Why don't you ask him if he's involved in a church?" So I did. "Are you involved in a church nearby?" He said no, but that he was Catholic. But with the recent sex abuse scandals in the Catholic Church, he had become disillusioned and didn't want to have anything to do with Catholicism right now. But, he said his faith was still really important to him. "Tell me more, I said ..."
Away we went on our conversation ... for the next hour. We went on a test drive ... and we talked. We walked across the lot ... and we talked. Then we were back in the office to do paperwork, and I kid you not, the conversation went on and on and he didn't flinch.
Finally, I said, "Robert, are you sure you aren't going to get in trouble for talking to me for so long? Don't you need to keep selling me a car?" He said, "Not at all. I love this. I'll just tell them I was with a customer." “Okay, sounds good. I can do this all day,” I thought.
Well, eventually Robert and I closed the deal, and I traded in our ailing old car and drove off with a “newer” one from CarMax, but not before I invited Robert to Spectrum and asked him if we could get together again for coffee sometime. He said it's hard to make it to church on Sunday because he works all day, but I found out he lives half a block from St. Andrews Presbyterian in Newport Beach. I told him I knew the pastor, Chap Clark, and it's a really great church. He said he will definitely check it out, and if his schedule works out he will come to Spectrum.
Robert sent me this text the other day after he asked how I was enjoying the new car and I wished him a happy Easter – "Hi Aaron, thank you, and I pray for you and your church. It is a privilege to know you. I will check St Andrews out. Yes, let’s stay in touch. Best, Robert"
You never know where your "Robert" will show up. God's vision for us is to be his disciples everywhere he puts us, even CarMax. Let's pray for one another and encourage each other to listen to the Holy Spirit, to ask questions when we meet people, and to cross bridges into spiritual conversations by simply asking about someone's background ... and when we do we will be used in unexpected ways to further God's kingdom.