New arenas of evangelization are out there and recently we had the joy of being on the receiving end. It was our first time in Phoenix, Arizona and there was even a well-coordinated theme we were able to pick up on.

First that afternoon there was John, the BBQ aficionado who picked us up in his truck. He had our mouths watering with his passion for BBQ. He was Ubering to finish saving up so he could reopen a new, bigger and better place and share his labor of love with everyone. He shared with us that his gift of hospitality was from the Lord and was ready to bless others with that gift. He recounted how he found his passion and was living it! He put us on the spot asking: “If money was no object, what would you like to do in life? So are you doing it?”

The next Uber ride was late that night with Keisha. She was having a good time listening to some very upbeat music and was almost dancing in her seat. She was Ubering to save up for something special. “This weekend is our twentieth wedding anniversary and I’m putting in a few extra hours so that we can go out for a nice dinner, go shopping and celebrate! I love him and just can’t wait to surprise him. I will be working until 2:00 a.m. the next few nights but I want to do something special for him.”

The next morning, we wondered if this driver would stick with the developing theme. A high truck pulled up in front of our hotel. One of those trucks that you need a ladder to climb into. The husky driver looked down at our baby in the car seat and let out a deep and tender “awe.” He shared that he was happily married and the father of seven. “People ask me all the time — how can you love all seven and I tell them love multiplies itself! I Uber because I need to put those kids through college and the youngest three are triplets. No tinkering, mind you. Just a pure surprise from God.”

Lastly there was Andrew. He was recently married and had a one year old who was the light of his life. Andrew was Ubering to save up for flight training school because he did not like his current job. He was torn because he could not find a job that would allow him to spend precious time with his wife and son. He just did not want to miss out on time with his family.

Did God have a message for us? None of these people could have known that the day before this trip Ryan had resigned his position at Louisiana Right to Life so that we could run our marriage prep ministry Witness to Love full-time together as a couple. Only God knew the discernment, anxiety, passion, and then pure confidence in His plan that had gone into this decision. We heard his message from the Uber evangelists. “Are you doing what you were created to do? Are you loving big? Are you making time for family? Do you trust Me?”

Here is another great Uber lesson from a Bishop: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/column/uber-est-3756/.

What is your Uber evangelist story? Share using the hashtag #uberevangelist.