A Come to Jesus Meeting

Today, on my way to my car after class, I was accosted by two young men. They wanted to know if I knewJesusChristasmypersonalLordandSavior.

As all of you are aware, I do. In fact, I've most likely forgotten more about the Bible and its many intricacies and nuances than they'll ever know. Which, granted, isn't what it's all about, but whatever two random dudes could possibly tell me about God, I don't particularly want to hear from two random dudes. Who wouldn't stop following me and asking me questions about my personal relationship with God even after I'd very shortly answered the first couple of things they asked that were, frankly, none of their business. Even while I walked faster and faster to get away from them. Even while my tone and body language were screaming "LEAVE ME ALONE." They have no idea how close they were to getting clobbered with my book bag by the time they finally did exactly that. My vast experience and long history of clobbering troublesome males with book bags and purses would not have bode well for them, methinks. The only reason I waited as long as I did to commence said clobbering was because my new laptop was in that bag, and I really didn't want to have to break it on anyone's face if it wasn't strictly necessary. I like my laptop.

Here's the thing: I am a young (well, youngish) woman. As a rule, being followed down the street by two young men insistent on engaging us in conversation is not something that sits well with us gals. Especially when our arms aren't free because we're carrying a load of books, and we're in a downtown area. Guess what? We're feeling a little vulnerable right about then, and provided that we have an iota of common sense and self-preservation, two men approaching us to talk about ANYTHING is going to get our hackles up. Not only that, but there's a reason why it's called a "personal relationship with God." It's PERSONAL. As in, mine. Not yours. As in, not something you have any right to be asking me questions about, Random Dudes Who Won't Leave Me Alone. There are things important enough to me that I only discuss them with those I trust and have a rapport with. My spirituality is among those things.

Even if I WERE receptive to being accosted by two random men on a downtown street, for any reason whatsoever (and I can't think of a single good one), their second question to me being "do you know for sure when you die that you'll go to Heaven to be with Jesus?" Would probably put the kibbosh on all of said receptivity. Reason being that again, I am a young woman walking alone down a city sidewalk. Two men come up to a girl and ask them this question, and out of that entire sentence, she's going to hear three words: "when you die." Yeah. Leeeetle bit offputting, perhaps. You can bet that those words being uttered to me by two guys who are following me is going to put me in panic mode. It's fight or flight at that point.

I do understand that they most likely had good intentions, but the whole incident really bothered me. I STILL feel like double-checking to see if all my doors and windows are locked, but that's not the only reason I'm skeeved. Those two are going about spreading the gospel in completely the wrong way, and if I was that uncomfortable, I'm sure others they approached were too, since we all know what a shrinking violet *I* am. Certainly, they're more likely to put people off of God and Christianity than to bring them in. That part of it bothers me as well.

Meanwhile, I think I may request a security escort to my car from now on. Even though they seemed to mean no harm, that may not necessarily be true of others.

PS - don't worry, Mom! I'm ok!