Billy grew up in a nice Christian home. His parents were very much involved in the church services and activities. Billy enjoyed going to the Children’s Sabbath School. There was a nice group of children and they enjoyed doing the lessons and singing together. Billy was also very active in the youth programs they presented, and he was very friendly to the new visitors that came to church.
The local believers also enjoyed spending time outside of church and often went on church picnics on Sabbath afternoons and sometimes even on the occasional Sunday.
At home, Billy was very helpful around the house. His family had morning and evening worship. Billy said his own prayers morning and night and read a chapter of his Bible before going to bed.
Billy seemed like he was growing up to be a nice Christian young man, who loved the Lord and would serve Him for his entire life.
Although Billy was faithful and active around his church friends, he had one problem that plagued him. He was not so open about his faith to his friends at school, nor with anyone he met outside of the church.
His parents, especially his father, was very outgoing and spoke with many people he met out on the streets and in the parks or shopping malls. Whenever he engaged in a conversation with someone, he always managed to turn the conversation over to spiritual themes. This bothered Billy and he felt embarrassed. He secretly hoped they would never encounter some of his school friends’ parents. Billy squirmed and became openly impatient if his father’s conversation went too long. Sometimes it was only a one-minute conversation—like when they were pumping gas, and his father said a few short words to the person on the other side of the pump. Even if the conversation did not turn to religious themes, Billy’s father always ended the conversation by saying, “God bless you.” Sometimes the strangers reacted well, other times they seemed indifferent, or even scoffed a little.
As he grew older, Billy would walk away from his father when his father engaged in these conversations and pretended he did not know his father. One day, he was very impatient and asked his father why he bothered. They clearly were not wanting to come to church and some clearly opposed his point of view and would not accept the things his father was speaking about. Why waste the time? There were so many other things that needed to get done.
His father politely responded by saying, “Well son, we are told by Isaiah, ‘Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters.’ Isaiah 32:20. And Ellen G. White wrote, ‘We can pass through this world but once; as we pass along, let us make the most of life. . . . Our sphere of influence may seem narrow, our ability small, our opportunities few, our acquirements limited; yet wonderful possibilities are ours through a faithful use of the opportunities.’ (–The Ministry of Healing, p. 356). So you see, son, we may never meet those people again, but they may remember the words I have spoken and the Holy Spirit can awaken in their hearts a desire to know more one day when they are really in need. And also, you never know, but those few words may make a difference in that person’s life that we are not aware of.”
Billy still was not satisfied. When he became a teenager, his school friends became more important to him than his church friends. Slowly he was losing interest in church. He managed to graduate from high school and decided to leave home and leave church. He moved in with some of his friends and obtained a job at a local supermarket on the other side of town, far away from his parents.
As time went on, Billy developed some bad habits that were costing him a lot of money. His salary was not enough to pay his rent and to pay for his food and bad habits. Rather than give up his habits, Billy decided he was going to start to steal. He became good at it for awhile. One day though, when he was 21 years old, the owner of a store caught him stealing; Billy got angry and got into a fight with the owner. He hit the owner so hard, that the owner fell backwards and hit his head on the corner of one of the display shelves. Sadly, the man died. And what was Billy to do? He had nowhere to go and run and hide as there were other customers in the store who had seen it all. The police soon arrived on the scene and Billy was taken away.
Billy was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his crimes. He had thrown his youth away. In prison, life was not good for Billy. He refused to allow his parents to visit. He was an angry young man and he often got into fights with the other inmates when they were out in the courtyard for their daily hour of fresh air. Billy was a big man at this time and he would often hurt the other person quite badly. He himself also developed a few scars. It became such a problem that they had to chain a heavy ball to Billy’s feet when they went outside to keep him away from the others. So, now, he would sullenly sit in the corner off to himself, brooding in his misery.
One day a minister was passing through the prison courtyard crowded with convicts who were showing every different phase of ignorance and brutality. He noticed one gigantic person sitting alone in a corner, his feet chained to a ball. There was an unhealed wound on his face. The sight of this silent gaunt figure touched the visitor.
“How long does he have to serve?” he asked the guard.
“Oh, another 20 years.”
“Does he have anyone outside to look after him? Parents, siblings?”
”How do I know? He doesn’t talk about his personal life and now he does not interact with anyone. He just sits there alone.”
“May I speak with him?” Asked the minister.
“Yes, but only one minute. We are not supposed to stop to talk to the convicts when they are out here.”
The minister hesitated. What could he say in one minute? He touched the man’s wounded cheek. “I am sorry,” he said. “I wish I could help you.”
Billy nodded in appreciation of the sympathy expressed.
“I am going away,” continued the minister, “and shall never see you again, perhaps; but you have a Friend who will stay here with you.”
As the keen small eyes of the minister were upon him, Billy dragged himself up, waiting and eager.
“Have you heard of Jesus?”
“Yes.”
“He is your Friend. He can forgive you of your sins. He loves you and if you are good and true, and will pray to God to help you, I am sure He will care for you. And one day He will come again and take you home to heaven.”
“Come sir, ” called the keeper, “Time is up. ”
The minister turned sorrowfully away. Before he left, Billy quickly called out after him, and taking his hand, he held it in his own for just a few seconds as was allowed. Tears were in Billy’s eyes.
Shortly after, Billy had been sent to the mines to work. Fourteen years later, the minister, not knowing that Billy was there, had been sent to encourage the workers in the mine. When he was there, he saw a large man, bent over with the hardship of life.
“Who is that?” asked the minister.
“Oh, he is one of our best workers. He has been down here for over ten years. He is always cheerful and really encourages the others when they are down. He is always talking about Jesus.”
Just then Billy stood up. He recognized the minister. “Do you know me? Is Jesus coming soon? I have tried to be so good. Jesus has truly been my best Friend. Thank you so much for your one-minute conversation. It meant so much to me that you took the time to care. I have told so many of my fellow inmates of my best friend, Jesus. I used to be embarrassed when my father spoke to strangers about Jesus, but now I can`t stop speaking about Him myself. My father was right all along, bless his soul.”
The minister’s eyes welled up with tears. Yes, he now remembered Billy. What a change there was. Billy no longer looked angry. Billy was radiant with happiness and beaming with joy. “Yes, Billy, now I remember you. God bless you. Jesus is coming soon.”
By a simple one-minute conversation, this convict had turned his life around and had given his life to Jesus.
Ask yourself, what would you say to someone if you were told you had only one minute to talk to them, and then you would likely never see them again? Wise King Solomon said, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Proverbs 25:11