A golden opportunity for all of us

When we read the Gospels, we see a Savior who was rarely in a hurry. Jesus noticed the people that others overlooked. He asked questions. He listened. He made space for interruptions. He sat at tables with those who felt unseen and called people by name who were used to being ignored. We have a golden opportunity: to live a life that looks like Jesus’. A life that notices, listens, and loves.

 

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Since early in our marriage, my husband and I have served on the adult committee for a ministry devoted to reaching middle school, high school, and college students that profoundly shaped my husband’s faith when he was in high school. Serving together has felt like a meaningful way to give back. 

The mission is clear: to introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith. Leaders do this in ways that are both simple and profound—by going where kids are, building relationships, and showing up consistently. We volunteered on the adult committee, coming alongside that mission and working behind the scenes to support the ministry through events like the annual fundraising banquet. 

One particular year, while we were serving in South Carolina, our area director invited a friend of his to speak. He described Allen as someone who loved sharing the gospel with kids and had a unique ability to connect with people through storytelling and music. 

Boy, was he right. 

That evening was special for so many reasons, but what has stayed with me for decades was the presence of our speaker. Allen made time for people that night. He spoke with our children. He sang beautiful songs and told beautiful stories. He was gracious and unassuming and seemed to really enjoy hanging out with a bunch of strangers for a few hours.  

Decades later, after weeks of persistent encouragement from my sister, I began to understand why that memory had stayed with me. I finally started reading a book written by our banquet speaker—his first novel, “Theo of Golden”. 

The writing is beautiful; the story, sweetly compelling. And as a writer, I’m astounded that a self-published book with word of mouth as its marketing “plan” (at least at first) could go on to sell over a million copies. 

The books’ universal appeal is intriguing to me. What is so special about “Theo of Golden” that has grown men crying and non-readers finishing it as the first book they’ve read in years?  

I don’t believe it’s only about a good story and beautiful writing. I think what resonates so deeply with readers is something more powerful, something the story reflects rather than tries to prove. It points us to the kind of life Jesus lived.   

When we read the Gospels, we see a Savior who was rarely in a hurry.  

Jesus noticed the people that others overlooked. He asked questions. He listened. He made space for interruptions. He sat at tables with those who felt unseen and called people by name who were used to being ignored. 

John 1:14 NIV tells us, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” Jesus came near. In doing so, He showed us that the heart of God is not distant or transactional, but deeply personal. 

Attentiveness. Gentleness. Patience. A willingness to linger. Aren’t these the attributes we sense and respond to when we encounter them in someone else? They aren’t traits our culture tends to celebrate. We are drawn to influence, efficiency, spectacle. We move fast, speak quickly, and often measure our worth by our level of busyness and what we accomplish. 

Thank God, Jesus offers another way. 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” Jesus says in Matthew 11:28 NIV.  He invites us to slow down. To abide. To be with Him. And, in turn, to be with others in a way that reflects His love. That’s what I experienced at that fundraising banquet all those years ago. Not a performance, but a presence. Not a platform, but a person who made others feel seen. 

And I suspect that’s why stories like Theo’s resonate so widely. Not because they present something extraordinary, but because they remind us of something essential. 

I don’t think we realize how hungry we are for lives that look like Jesus'.  

Lives that notice, listen, and love without rushing or an agenda.  

Maybe that’s the quiet invitation simmering throughout a best-selling book; not just to admire the qualities of a character on a page, but to live them out in our own everyday moments. Because the same Jesus who walked dusty roads and stopped for interruptions is still at work today, often in ways that look small, ordinary, and easy to overlook. 

A conversation that goes a little deeper. A moment when we choose to linger instead of hurry. An opportunity to truly see someone. These are the places where His life becomes visible in ours, when His spirit is moving in and through us. 

Now, years later, I can see why Allen made such a lasting impression, and why so many people have been moved by a character in a book. In small but undeniable ways, their behaviors reflect Jesus. 

And that kind of life, whether lived on a stage, in a story, or on the sidelines of a high school football game, is the kind that stays with you for a long, long time.  

What a golden opportunity for us all.  

A black and white portrait of DaySpring contributing author Robin Dance.

Robin Dance is the author of "For All Who Wander." As Southern as sugar-shocked tea, she is married to her college sweetheart and has three children. An empty nester with a full life, she's determined to age with grace and to celebrate the beauty and magic of today. Find her work at http://www.robindance.me.