More From Sam Whatley

As we get older, our bodies change. So do the ways we can witness for Christ. I turned 74 this year and found that one door closed, but another one opened.

When I was about twelve, my brother came home from college with a “new” game—chess. I had never seen it before and was immediately intrigued. I was fascinated by pieces that could move with thousands of possible combinations. It was marvelous to a boy on a small farm in Alabama.

As years went by, I played the game whenever I could find someone who knew how to play or had the time and patience to learn. Where we lived, checker players were common, but chess players were almost nonexistent. I found a few players in college and played occasionally throughout my working life. I picked up a few tactics and strategies along the way, but I was never much beyond a beginner.

After I came to the Lord, I sometimes used chess as a way to share my faith in Christ. I saw a colleague at the office who seemed to be a loner. I didn’t know where he stood with Jesus, but I wanted to find out. Our work was intense, and we had few opportunities to talk. But he knew how to play chess, so I brought my chess board to work so we could play during our lunch hour. He soon surpassed me in the game, and he slowly began to relax and share things about his marriage and his life. He grew more open to hearing about Christ and the Bible. I retired a few years later, while he was still employed, but we continued to meet off and on to play our Saturday chess game.

Then, this past year, a strange thing happened to me. I noticed that my hand would shake when I was under stress during a chess game. The shaking became more pronounced, with me knocking over pieces when I made a move. But the shaking only happened when I played chess. My doctor had a simple answer, “Quit playing chess!”

I did. But without our common interest in the game, my friend and I did not see each other for months. I suddenly realized that I had missed the opportunity to witness to him more. I felt that I had had some Christian influence, but there were so many other things that we had never talked about.

Life is short. I have found other ways I can reach people for Christ. One way is by writing devotions for publications like The Upper Room and our church newsletter. Whatever interest the Lord gives you, use it for Jesus while you have it. You never know when that door may close and another one open.