Corvette Owner Runs Into a Canvasser

This is my second summer as part of the Michigan Youth Rush canvassing team. I’d like to share one of my experiences with you.

One day as I walked up to a house, I noticed a new Corvette and a red Mustang sitting in the driveway. I admired them all the way to the door. A younger man, probably in his early 20s, answered the door. I shared the book Habits That Heal (an adapted version of The Ministry of Healing) with him and then The Great Controversy.

At that point, I closed my canvas and told him how much they were for the set. He said, “Wait, what’s the set?” I shared that the donation price I had mentioned was for the two books in his hand, but that I could show him some of the other ones that I had. “Yes, show them to me,” he eagerly responded. I showed him the other books in my hand and briefed him on the books in my bag.

At this point he had five books in his hands. Holding up Peace Above the Storm, he asked, “So what is this one about again? Is this one religious?” I was disappointed because I felt like a young guy like him wasn’t going to be interested if I said it was religious. I proceeded to tell him that it was religious and it would help him get to know Jesus better as a friend.

After going over the books in his hand, he picked out Peace Above the Storm again and The Great Controversy. I was excited and relieved that he did want the religious books! I shared about the donation prices and mentioned that if he gave just a little bit more, I could leave another book, The Answer Book, with him also. “It’s basically three for the price of two,” I stated.

“Ok, let me go find some money. I want to do cash if I can.” He didn’t find anything in the house, so he decided to go look in his truck. I followed him a little way and as he was looking, I remarked how cool the cars were in the driveway. We had a great conversation and I learned he had just gotten the Corvette a few days before. (The Mustang was his brother’s). He got in the car and revved the engine for me. It was awesome and I even got a video of him revving the engine.

But back to the story…we went back to the door and finished up with the money and the three books. At the end, my leader walked up, and we offered to pray with the homeowner. He accepted and then after the prayer he said, “You know, this is a funny coincidence. Just two weeks ago, I started listening to the Bible for the first time. I grew up Orthodox, and I’ve known that I believed in something, but I never really knew what I believed in, so I started listening to the Bible. This morning I just felt like something was going to happen today. Just a sense, but I didn’t know what it was, and now here you are!”

I responded by affirming how great God’s timing is. He took down all the local church information and was very excited about the books. God’s timing is impeccable, and I was reminded to never judge what someone will be interested in by how old they are or how they look. God wants to draw each one of us to Him!