“Words don’t always work,” Paul said. “In fact, they usually don’t work right away.”

“Well, what do I do, then?”

“That depends on the person, and your relationship with them. But remember, you start by praying for them.”

“I’ve done that.”

“I started praying for you during two-a-days, remember? That was five months ago. I haven’t stopped yet.”

“Why?”

“I guess God put you on my heart.” He shrugged.

“Meaning?”

“I just kept thinking about you during my prayer times. When I saw you I knew I needed to find a way to reach you.”

I nodded, thinking about Shel and Bruce.

“Look, Aaron; you know those guys better than anybody – probably better than their parents. If anyone can reach them, you can. And now that you’re a believe, that’s your job – to reach people for Christ.”

I thought a lot about our conversation. I avoided Shel and Bruce the rest of the day, even at lunch, and spent that half hour praying. I knew that wasn’t all the time I’d spend praying for them, but it seemed like a good start. And by the end of lunch, I had a plan.

I called Shel from my cell on the way home.

“Yeah.” He sounded suspicious and defensive the minute he answered his phone.

“Still partying Friday night?”

“Yeah. You coming?”

“Thought I might.”

“You drinking?”

“Naw, man, but that doesn’t mean we’re not friends anymore, does it? I mean, dude, we were friends before we started drinking, right? Why not now?”

Shel didn’t answer right away. I wondered f he was going to. “Yeah,” he finally said. “We were. What will you do?”

“Hang out with my friends, just like always. And I thought maybe some of you boneheads might need a designated driver to get home.”

I could almost visualize Shel nodding his head. “Yeah … That’d work.”

I smiled as I hung up and turned into my driveway. I had lots of homework to do, but not from school. I had to learn this Christian stuff so I could help my buddies find Christ. I hustled in, ready to start in the Book of John, like my new youth minister had suggested. And I had to read that Psalm again, I though as I bounded up the stairs.

I don’t know if this is going to work or not – my guess is that I won’t know for a while. But I do know I have to try something – something radical. After all, if I ever found a buried treasure while plowing my farm, these are the people I’d want to share it with.

They’re the people I want to share Jesus with.