Sharing the Gospel: A Unique Conversation with a Nail Tech Who Had Never Heard of Jesus

I was shocked to learn that my Nail Tech had never heard of Jesus Christ.

It was a usual afternoon of getting my nails done with casual conversation between me and Gina (not her real name). Something was said and she asked me if I was a Christian and I said “yes”. I asked her the same question and she said “no, she is Buddhist”. Here’s how the conversation went.

Me: I thought you celebrated Christmas.

Gina: We did.

Me: Do you know why you celebrated Christmas?

Gina: Not really, it’s a custom here and my son, who is 6 years old, enjoys it very much.

Me: Do you know who Jesus Christ is?

Gina: No, I’ve never heard of him.

WHAT???

Don’t we live in America?

And hasn’t everyone in America heard of Jesus Christ?

Are we not sending Missionaries around the world to tell people about Jesus?

How can it be that someone I see on a regular basis living in the USA has NEVER heard of Jesus Christ?

It hit me and hit me hard! What was I going to say next? I prayed and asked the Holy Spirit to guide me in my words.

I consider myself a woman of faith and I have learned how to share the gospel over the years. I participated in a FAITH outreach ministry for three years and learned how to tell people about Jesus. BUT…all those people had heard of Jesus.

So, I did what anyone would do and started at the beginning.

Yes, the beginning.

Me: In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, he also created man and woman. He took them into the garden and told them they could eat from any tree except this one tree, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Well, they did it anyway and sinned against God.

Gina: What is sin?

I did not see that coming.

Me: It is when you are disobedient or do wrong against God and others.

I told her we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Adam and Eve were the first to be disobedient aka sin, and it’s been happening ever since. I explained how people in the Old Testament times had to make a sacrifice for their sins. They would have to kill a perfect and spotless lamb every year to atone for their sins to be right with God.

Fast forward and we find God seeing us (humankind) needing a Savior, so He decides its time to send Jesus Christ. God sent Jesus in the form of a baby through a virgin birth (won’t get into the details of how I explained this) and that’s the baby in the manger at Christmas. He grew up living a perfect and spotless life to be the sacrifice for our sin. He died on the cross and then rose again three days later. He was resurrected and is alive in Heaven with God.

The Bible tells us if we confess with our mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved (Romans 10:9).

What that means is if you understand you have sinned, believe and confess Jesus, you will spend eternity in Heaven with Him and others. It’s an amazing promise of life everlasting.

The whole time I was sharing with Gina, she was completely present. She had stopped doing my nails and was listening intently as she looked into my eyes. Others around me were listening too and I felt like they were a bit of a distraction, but I kept sharing. It took a little time and felt like a long time, but I kept going until I could abbreviate the best I could in my words the story of God, man, and Jesus.

Gina politely thanked me for sharing. I am certain she didn’t fully understand what all I just shared but I’m glad for the opportunity of planting the first seed. It may take several seeds as it does with many of us, but I know the first seed was planted, nonetheless.

Upon reflecting on that day, I am reminded in Romans 14:12 that each of us will give an account of ourselves to God one day. I do not want to be found wanting and wishing that I would have shared Jesus more. Even though Gina had been in this country for six years, I needed the reminder that even in the good ole USA, not everyone has heard of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

To take it a step further, consider all who have entered this country from other places far away over recent years, they may not have heard of Jesus Christ either. I do not want to take for granted who has heard of Jesus Christ. I hope I am not surprised again but I am grateful to the Holy Spirit, the Helper who gives us insight and words when needed. Praise God!

I am praying for Gina to come to know the love of God and the saving grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Who might you meet one day who has never heard of Jesus Christ?

Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
Isaiah 40:28