Revival in Indiana: Guest Post by Julie Boyd
About a month ago, I began hearing stories of revival breaking out in Northern Indiana (You can read about it here.) My interest was immediately piqued because, not only do I live in Indiana, but I have been praying for revival for years. Could this be the real thing? Could it really be happening here? I had to see for myself.
The first opportunity I had to check out Revive Indiana was April 25 , in Kokomo. My husband, Bruce, .and I left our house at 5:30 a.m. to arrive for the 7 a.m. prayer meeting. The church was packed with people from various denominations, ethnicities and ages, all coming together to worship, pray, share a meal and go out into the streets to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
Our first time out we joined a team and headed into the middle of nowhere. Literally, our map led us down a country road with very little civilization. We ended up sharing the gospel with a construction worker and then later prayed over a farm implements business where half of the men were in tears because of what God was doing in their community. Unfortunately, we had to leave at noon, but we knew that wouldn’t be the end of our connection with Revive Indiana.
Two weeks later, we headed to Bloomington, IN to spend 5 days volunteering. We ended up leading teams out into the community twice a day. It was amazing how open people were to talking. By the end of the week, Bruce and I had prayed for numerous students and adults and had seen four people commit their lives to Christ!
Considering that Bruce and I have been on staff with Cru for the past 33 years, you’d think going out to talk to strangers about Jesus would be a normal activity for us. But, I have to admit it’s been years since I went out to share my faith and led someone to Christ one on one.
Honestly, I have been fearful and intimidated about dealing with today’s issues. On occasion, I’ll strike up a conversation on an airplane or in a line at the store, but to actually go through the Gospel?
I excuse myself by rationalizing that because I share the Gospel to large audiences, I’ve done my part, or I just don’t have any outsiders for friends, or I evangelize through social media (not to say that these aren’t valid). But, in order to really connect with people, I need to be able to look them in the eye. To visibly see God moving in someone’s heart is a powerful privilege that has brought a lost joy back into my life.
I wish I could share more specific stories about all the things God is doing through Revive Indiana because it is so exciting and encouraging. But, I think the bottom line for me is that God has restored my confidence to go out and share the Gospel with boldness.
Whether or not what is happening in Indiana can be considered an authentic revival is not for me to decide. What I do know is that revival has happened in my heart and that’s where real revival begins.
What about you? When have you seen revival?
Julie Boyd has served on Cru staff with her husband, Bruce, for 33 years. She lives in Fishers. Indiana.