A group of friends were dining at an Italian restaurant. There was a mixture of deep and jovial conversation throughout our dinner. Our server, Krystal, as she periodically came back to serve us, was kind, sanguine and conversational.

At the end of the dinner, I mentioned to her privately that we appreciated her service. I went on to say that we were all part of a faith-based, global community that focused on meaningful relationships, changed lives and giving people an opportunity to make a difference. She was intrigued. I went on to ask if I could share a true story of a huge difference made in someone's life. She was eager to hear it.

“The story is about when Jesus was approached by a blind man one day. On that day, the blind man heard the noise of a throng of people passing by. Barimeaus, the blind man - after learning that the huge crowd was following Jesus - cried out to Him, ‘Jesus, Son of David. Have mercy on me.’

“And, Krystal, then Jesus turned around and asked Bartimaus an amazing question - ‘What would you have me do for you?’ Bartimaus said, ‘Lord, let me recover my sight.’ And Jesus healed him.

“I said, “If Jesus were to make a difference in your life, like He did that day, and He asked you, ‘Krystal, What would you have me do for you?’ What would you say? Whatever you say, I will pray for you.”

She was stunned, and began to open up. In five short minutes she mentioned her need to “get her life on track”. She mentioned that she used to have warm thoughts about God, but because her life was so hard she was mad at God, and knew it was wrong. She wanted to start over again with God but did not know how.

I gave her my card with my story on it (on our website my.story.me here), and my wife’s business card, too (I’m in the habit of carrying them both for situations just like this). I also showed her a picture of my wife, and mentioned that “Sometime, we’d love to get a cup of coffee with you and hear about your journey. Would you be up for that?” She excitedly said yes.

We exchanged contact information. We’ve texted a few times, and hope to be meeting with her soon.

As the Alice in Wonderland themed birthday party for my four year old granddaughter was finishing, I struck up a conversation with the 17 year old boy who welcomed young birthday revelers. He worked at a local shop. I asked him about his job, school, and friends. He asked me what I did. I told him about a project I was working on to test a method of telling stories to people in order to help them with a desire. And, then I asked if it would be okay to tell him one of these stories. He welcomed the interlude in his work of serving lemonade to children at the party. As I prepared to tell the story of Jesus going into Jericho and encountering the blind man, I decided to use my hands to help him follow the action and feel the implications. In fact, I wanted him to sense Jesus was the center of the conversation.

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar

³⁵ As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. ³⁶ And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. ³⁷ They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” ³⁸ And he cried out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" ³⁹ And those who were in
front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"⁴⁰ And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, ⁴¹ "What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, let me recover my sight." ⁴² And Jesus said to him, "Recover your sight; your faith has made you well." ⁴³ And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Telling the story as best as possible from memory, I asked him to imagine the encounter to be physically very close. I brought my left hand up, semi-open to the eye level space between both of us. I wanted him to imagine Jesus at eye level between us. And then I brought the right hand up, again semi-open as I depicted the blind man approaching and coming close to Jesus. Both hands were semi-open, palms facing each other as Jesus asked the amazing question, “What do you want me to do for you?”

After I finished telling the story, but still holding my hands between us, I went back to the question and the implications of it being open-ended. Obviously the response from a blind man saying, “Lord, let me recover my sight” was a reasonable answer. But he could have answered anything based on, “What do you want me to do for you?” 

As I asked the question the second time I paused to let the scene and the amazing question sink deeply into the young man’s mind. “Isn’t that an amazing question,” I asked him as he nodded in thought. I then turned the left hand, the “Jesus hand” towards him and said, “If Jesus came to you and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”, what would you answer? He
now was deep in thought and actually started quietly to express things out loud but putting a question after each thought…”Good grades?...Time with friends?” and then he had the answer he would tell Jesus, “I would ask for a tighter relationship with my father.”

I then pulled my left hand back from between us and told him what an amazing request that was. I told him that it was so amazing that I would pray to Jesus and ask him to do just that. As we finished our brief time together he asked me if I had more stories like this. He encouraged me to try them out on him. I gave him MyStory and assured him I would.

In the next few days,  went on-line to FamilyLife ministry and found the topic of how to write a story to your parents. I printed out the heart of what to do, put it in an envelope, and I found the young man at work. I gave it to him and told him that as I was praying for him, this idea came to mind and I thought it might help him in his amazing request of Jesus. A few weeks later, I checked back and he had started to write a tribute to his father.

As my flight was one-hour out of New York City from Minneapolis, I asked my seatmate on my left, Lynn, what she would be doing in New York and what she did. “Visiting her daughter,” came back the answer to the first question and, “Run a foundation I started to help people who are terminally ill but would like to stay in their homes,” came the answer to the second question. She asked what I did, and I told her in general terms what I had been doing in Eastern Europe for the last 33 years and then quickly added that I am now testing a method of telling a simple story to people that seems to help them. I then asked if I could tell it to her and she gave her assent. As I prepared to tell the story of Jesus going into Jericho and encountering the blind man, I decided to use my hands to help Lynn follow the action and feel the implications. In fact, I wanted Lynn to sense Jesus was the center of the conversation. It would be a bit difficult because she was to my left, but I knew it would be worth the effort.

Telling the story as best as possible from memory, I asked her to imagine the encounter to be physically very close. I brought my left hand up, semi-open to the eye level space between both of us. I wanted Lynn to imagine Jesus at eye level between us. And then I brought the right hand up, again semi-open as I depicted the blind man approaching and coming close to Jesus.

Both hands were semi-open, palms facing each other as Jesus asks the amazing question, “What do you want me to do for you?” After I finished telling the story, but still holding my hands between us, I went back to the question and the implications of it being open-ended. Obviously the response from a blind man saying, “Lord, let me recover my sight” was a reasonable answer. But he could have answered anything based on, “What do you want me to do for you?"

As I asked the question the second time I paused to let the scene and the amazing question sink deeply into Lynn’s mind as our plane made a large swing to come into JFK from the east.

“Isn’t that an amazing question,” I asked her as she nodded in thought. I then turned the left hand, the “Jesus hand,” towards Lynn and said, “Lynn, if Jesus came to you and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”, what would you answer? She was now deeply in thought and then she had the answer. She replied, “I would ask him for volunteers to help with my foundation.”

I then pulled my left hand back from between us and told her what an amazing request that was. I told her that it was so amazing that I would pray to Jesus and ask him to do just that. Pondering her answer and as the landing gear dropped down, I asked Lynn if she had gone to churches and asked the pastors to help her. She told me she hadn’t. I encouraged her to try and tell the same story of Jesus going into Jericho and the request she had made to Jesus. She liked the idea and assured me she would. I gave her my MyStory and then Lynn onfided to me that she attended Youth for Christ meetings when she was a teen.

He sat to my left, the window seat, seat A. I guessed him to be in his mid-forties. On this three-hour flight from Minneapolis to Orlando, I had determined not to wait until a “more opportune” time in the flight to start a conversation. On my last 9 hour international flight I kept waiting for just the “right opportunity” and barely talked with my seatmate. I believed I had now found a more winsome way to get into a conversation and transition to the Lord.

I asked him what he did and that opened up a flow of knowledge from him about what it is like to manage a 180,000 square foot Walmart. He also told me about his 15 year old twins and his 11 year-old son. The more he talked, the more determined I was to somehow tell the story of Jesus going into Jericho and the blind beggar.

I asked about how important Research and Development (R and D) was in Walmart, and he quickly gave me the latest examples. I then told him that in my work with my Christian organization I am involved in R and D. We have found it to be very helpful for many people to hear a simple Bible story. “Could I tell it to you?” I asked. He said yes.

Telling the story as best as possible from memory, I asked him to imagine the encounter to be physically very close. I brought my left hand up, semi-open to the eye level space between both of us. I wanted him to imagine Jesus at eye level between us. And then I brought the right hand up, again semi-open as I depicted the blind man approaching and coming close to Jesus. 

Both hands were semi-open, palms facing each other as Jesus asked the amazing question, “What do you want me to do for you?” After I finished telling the story, but still holding my hands between us, I went back to the question and the implications of it being open-ended. Obviously the response from a blind man saying, “Lord, let me recover my sight” was a reasonable answer. But he could have answered anything based on, “What do you want me to do for you?"

As I asked the question the second time I paused to let the scene and the amazing question sink deeply into Jeff’s mind. “Isn’t that an amazing question”, I asked him as he nodded in thought. I then turned the left hand, the “Jesus hand” towards Jeff and said, “Jeff, if Jesus came to you and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”, what would you answer?

It didn’t take him very long to answer, probably because of his business decision making skills. “I would ask him to take care of my family. Yes, that is what I would ask him.” I then pulled my left hand back from between us and told him what an amazing request that was. I told him that it was so amazing that I would pray to Jesus and ask him to do just that. He talked some more about his kids and then we were silent for an hour or so, but as we were ½ hour out of Orlando, I was thinking about his children and what I did with our children, Zach, Caitlin and Shara, when they were the same age. I remembered the importance they felt when I would get together with them for a grown-up appointment. And then I realize I must give Jeff some ideas of how he could protect his children.

I then told Jeff what I did with my children at the same age and how important those appointments were. “Perhaps you may want to try the same,” I suggested. He replied quickly that that was a great idea and told me he would do it. I then decided to go even further and ask, “Why don’t you tell them the same story about Jesus and the blind man and that amazing question…’What do you want me to do for you?’”

And, again with enthusiasm, he affirmed that he would and wondered out loud what his 11 year old would answer. Jeff thought it would be for something material, but he wasn’t sure. Jeff is now curious. As we finished our brief time together I gave him my MyStory.