Chrissy Thompson has a heart for the homeless, but if someone asks her for money, she has something far more powerful to offer.
Earlier this year, she had an opportunity to do just that when she prayed with a stranger who was struggling.
During a break from her cleaning job in Salisbury, Md.—the fourth stop on the God Loves You Tidewater Tour with Franklin Graham—Thompson headed outside.
>>Get details on all six stops of the God Loves You Tidewater Tour, which runs through May 7.
Armed with a sign to promote the tour, she found a good spot and started hammering it into the ground.
After she finished, Thompson noticed an older man nearby who looked lost. Walking over to him, they started talking.
Marty* told her that his life wasn’t going well. He was hungry and didn’t have a place to call home.
Thompson had been down and out before and wanted to offer him the hope she had found in Jesus Christ. And though she readily prayed with strangers, she had never shared the Gospel with anyone.
Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Thompson talked to Marty about how to turn over his worries—and his heart—to Jesus.
As she prayed, the young woman asked God to provide for Marty’s needs and then led him in a prayer to receive Christ.
Afterward, Marty grabbed his knees and started crying.
“I wanted to cry,” Thompson said. “I felt joy, like the Holy Spirit was in me. I had never had a true [spiritual] encounter like that when I prayed with someone.”
Before leaving, she invited him to the tour event and gave him a card with the date, time, and address.
It was one of at least 50 cards she’s handed out, inviting people to hear the Good News from Franklin Graham and musical artists Newsboys, Marcos Witt, and Dennis Agajanian on May 4.
Inviting people to the evangelistic event has helped Thompson feel more confident. “Before, I was too shy,” she explained. “I was a believer, but I was too scared to pray out loud in front of people.
“It’s sparked something in me to share Christ more,” she added. “I’m looking for opportunities wherever I go.”
A Faithful Friend
Thompson’s faith journey started after she was hired by business owner Terri Tanner. “When I met Terri, I was a complete mess,” she said.
Years earlier, Thompson had been thrown through the windshield of her car after being hit by a tractor trailer. Left with severe facial injuries and filled with bitterness toward the truck driver, she decided not to leave home, to avoid seeing people. “I was down and depressed,” she said.
To ease her pain, Thompson turned to drugs and alcohol. Her life spiraled downward.
A couple of years had passed when she decided to apply for the cleaning job. Tanner hired the young woman and invited her to church, as she normally does with new employees.
Thompson’s eyes were opened to God’s unconditional love. She accepted Christ, and He transformed her life. Thompson also found the power to forgive the truck driver and let go of her bitterness.
Throughout the past year, Tanner has continued to mentor Thompson on her faith journey. “She built me up and brought me to the Lord,” Thompson said.
Recently, Tanner’s church hosted a Christian Life and Witness Course in preparation for the God Loves You Tidewater Tour. This evangelism training from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is designed to teach people how to grow in their faith and share it with others.
After completing the training, Tanner encouraged Thompson—and other coworkers who follow Christ—to be bold and tell others about Him.
When she heard how Thompson had stepped out in faith with Marty, Tanner was thrilled.
“It’s God’s blessings that we’re sharing,” she said. “And being obedient to what He has called us to do—to just share the love of Jesus. To see someone else following [that call], I’m like a proud mother,” Tanner said. “You’re just thanking God that He’s working in her life as much as He is in the man that she led to the Lord.”
The Tidewater Tour starts this weekend. Will you pray for God to continue changing hearts as they hear the Good News?
*Name changed to protect privacy.
