It started with a microscopic seed. It grew into an orchard full of trees. We lived on a short street in a seaside town in northern England. It was our second month there, and I had met all the neighbors with a determined plan to win them to Christ. There was one house empty, and the “sold” sign assured me someone would be added to the little street’s community soon.

People were not used to Americans living next door, and they surely were not used to having someone share the gospel with them. But so far our efforts at winning friendships had seemed successful. I wondered how families could live without the gospel. I wondered how a nation that had sent out so many great missionaries in the past had so few Christians today.

Moving day came for the empty house, and its new owners arrived an hour ahead of time. When a Mayflower moving van drove up to their door, Daniel and Christine Metcalf came out with sleeves rolled up, their hands wet from scrubbing. I peeked through a curtain as the men secured the ramp at the back gate and started to empty the truck and fill the house.

Three hours later the job was finished. The sweaty men shook hands with the new owners of Number Four Arran Drive and departed. The Metcalfs waved them off, then headed back into their house, a mixture of weariness and excitement on their faces.

I got into the car and drove down to the shops where I purchased apples, oranges, pears and grapes. I threw cans of soup, peas and carrots into the shopping cart, along with a variety of pastas. I steered my cart to the meat department and picked up a pound of ground beef, two steaks and a package of sausages. I grabbed a box of tea, a jar of coffee, a package of paper towels and a four-pack of toilet paper. I selected a card that read, “Welcome to your new home,” then headed back to decorate a box with wrapping paper. My wife and I had fun filling it with all the goodies I had bought, adding a few more items from our pantry. All this time I was praying for our new neighbors.

We had so much fun as we stood at the Metcalfs’ front door with the overflowing box! They were stunned, and I loved seeing their surprise. We had not stuffed a tract into their gift, and we did not say a word about our faith. We simply welcomed them.
A month later, when they accepted our invitation to dinner, we discovered that Daniel was a science lecturer at a local technical college and Christine was looking for work. They were hoping to start a family. So were we.

Planting and Watering
I had been reading some of C.S. Lewis’ books on his discovery of faith. One day over coffee at the Metcalfs’ house, this information leaked into the conversation.

“I have no faith or religion,” Daniel said. “I come from a long line of atheists.”

“I was raised Roman Catholic but discarded it years ago,” added Christine. “Faith seemed irrelevant to my life.”

I smiled and looked them directly in the eye. “My faith is simple,” I said. “I’ve found I can’t live without Jesus Christ. He has become the center of everything I am and do.”

Daniel was intrigued. He wanted to borrow a Lewis book. The next day I loaned him Mere Christianity. “Take your time with it, Daniel,” I suggested. “We both have read it so there’s no rush.”

Half an hour later Daniel returned with the book. “I’ve read it, and it’s fascinating,” he said simply. “Do you have more books I could read?”

I was shocked. How could a man read an entire book in half an hour? But I believed him and gave him another Lewis classic, Surprised by Joy. He brought that back before I could hardly blink. “I’m enjoying these books,” he said. “It’s a whole new world I’ve never considered before.”

Soon thereafter, Daniel had read most of my library and we had discussed the significance of faith. He told me how his father had scoffed at religion and influenced Christine’s decision to reject Christianity.

“Do you have another book on faith?” he asked.

I did. I gave him my Bible and directed him to the Gospels. He did not come back so quickly this time, but not because he had rejected the Book. He was reading the whole thing from Genesis to Revelation! And God was using the written words of faith to challenge a scientist whose roots were faithless.

Harvest Time
That autumn I had organized a couples weekend. Five couples were signed up to attend — based on their promise to each bring another couple who were not yet believers. The time would be pure fun. But an underlying purpose was to unite people of faith with those who had none. We brought the Metcalfs.

Friday evening Daniel came into the lounge of the bed-and-breakfast and sat opposite me. “I want desperately to believe in Jesus Christ,” he said. “But I’ve been trained to accept only what can be proved by science.” He shifted his weight. “I have only an ounce of faith. Not enough to believe in Him.”

“Your faith is probably about the size of a mustard seed,” I replied. “An ounce is all you need, Daniel. God is the Author of faith, and if we lack it He promises to give it. Even a seedling of faith is sufficient to give you eternal life.”

A half-hour later Daniel rushed into the room with uncharacteristic excitement. “I believe!” he fairly shouted. “I applied the seed of faith I had, and put my trust in Jesus Christ. It’s true. I don’t understand it, but it’s true! I know Jesus Christ is real!”

In that moment, Daniel reminded me of the man who asked Jesus to help his son, saying, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).

As the years passed, Daniel grew deep in his Christian experience. He reproduced it in his classroom and at his father’s house. Faith became incorporated into every decision he made. For her part, Christine was so eager to turn back to Jesus that it was as if she had simply rolled up the window blind and let Him in.

The following year Daniel got a preacher’s license and now preaches both in the classroom and behind the pulpit.

Not long after their conversion Christine came to our door one day and said, “Guess what? We’re having a baby.”

We said, “Guess what? We are too.”