LTW to the Smokies UpdateWhen I arrived at the Sugarlands Visitor Center at 8:30 this morning, the first parking spot was waiting on me. I only had to carry my materials a very short distance from the car to my designated area. In large and small ways, God takes care of us as we serve Him. The sun shone brightly as the big, white, puffy clouds drew attention to the mountains beneath. I took a picture of the view I saw from my table area, and am posting it with pictures of some of the tourists who came over to talk with me.
One of the park rangers and I have become good friends. When the table was set up, she came over, and we shared what had happened in our lives since we talked last summer. Soon people were coming to the table, and a steady flow of tourists continued until by 2:00; everything on the table was taken. Eight Bibles were given out today. It is wonderful to see people so excited to have a Bible! I have only three Bibles left in my storage cabinet, so I will be contacting Dwayna to send me more, as she can.
I spoke with a young man with three children about the plan of salvation. From his comments, I knew he was associating being a Christian with going to church. He has to work on Sundays, so his wife takes the children to church each week. We talked about knowing Jesus in a personal way and how to have a personal relationship with him. He took “Steps to Peace With God” and “Understanding the Cross.”
A man in his fifties passed the table with his two grandsons and told me to keep up the good work. When he was several feet away from the table, he turned around and said, “I’ll see you again,” and pointed toward heaven. In a few minutes, he came back to the table and said, “God told me to leave the car and come back to let you know how important your work is to God’s kingdom.” He told me he had a life-threatening illness, and I prayed for God to be glorified through his healing, if it was His will. This man’s son is a youth minister who had brought young people from his church in Indiana to the Smokies for a retreat. After thanking me for my prayer, he said God had directed his path to the LTW table so he could encourage me, and I could pray for him. He left for the last time repeating that he would see me again in heaven.
A family from New York treated me like a celebrity, taking pictures of me with their family because they said visiting the table had been the highlight of their vacation. The children and their parents were bold witnesses for Christ. It was such a blessing to hear them tell about talking with people from Gatlinburg to New York City about how Jesus is the only way to God and how Jesus died for their sins. What a blessing each of them were to me!
Five of the visitors today were middle school teachers, and we had great conversations about the joys and woes of teaching in public schools. Although I am retired, it was like I was still in the classroom as we related to each other. One of them told me what I was doing at the table was a “labor of love.” I told her that when you love someone, what you do for him or her is not labor but joy. I thank God many times a week for giving me the privilege and honor of representing Him to the lost, as well as those who already know Him. I have the opportunity to share His love through talking with people and giving them resources to grow to be more like Him. As I have heard Dwayna say many times, “It doesn’t get any better than this!”
Three of the families who talked with me today are coming to church in the morning at the First Baptist Church of Sevierville. They said they would be looking for me, and I told them which service I attend and where I usually sit. God was at work today, and I am very thankful that I could be working with Him.
“Sharing Jesus, serving Him, and strengthening Christians with excellence for the glory of God.” (The Mission Statement of First Baptist Church Sevierville, TN)
Claudette Litz
