The Man Behind the Curtain

Have you ever wondered how many divine appointments you may have missed simply because you didn’t recognize them? Sometimes God places someone in our path for a reason far greater than we can imagine. What appears to be an inconvenience, an interruption, or even an unpleasant encounter may actually be an opportunity with eternal consequences. I learned this lesson in a hospital room many years ago, through an encounter with a difficult stranger that would forever change the way I listened to and obeyed the Holy Spirit.

My story began…

when I checked myself into St. Joseph’s Hospital, in Burbank, California several months after the airplane crash. The surgery staff was eager to see me and check on my progress. Many of them had followed my recovery since the airplane crash, and their encouragement meant more than they knew. I still faced months of recovery and additional surgeries, but their kindness helped make those difficult days a little easier.

When I arrived in my room, I noticed the curtain between the two beds was tightly drawn. It didn’t take long to discover why when a voice erupted from behind the curtain.

“NURSE! Get in here! Can you hear me? NURSE!”

When the nurse finally appeared, the weariness on her face told the story.

My roommate was an elderly gentleman who apparently had complaints about everything. And he wasn’t shy about expressing any of them.

My immediate thought was, Oh, brother. This is all I need. I’m going to be stuck here with this fellow for a day or two. Maybe I should ask for another room.

But then something unexpected happened.

A gentle thought entered my mind. I began wondering about the man behind that curtain. What had his life been like? Why was he so angry? More importantly, where did he stand with God?

Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming love for this man I’d never met. It wasn’t something I worked up emotionally. It simply came, and I knew the Lord was dealing with my heart.

I began praying silently for him.

Then came that still, small voice of the Holy Spirit — a voice I was learning to recognize and obey. I sensed that I was supposed to go over and speak to him.

There was only one problem. I didn’t know what to say. And with my injuries, getting anywhere was an undertaking.

Nevertheless, I hopped on one foot to his side of the room, reached for the curtain with my one available arm, and gave it a little wiggle.

“Hello, sir. What’s your name?”

The silence seemed to last forever.

Finally, an irritated voice answered, “The name’s Green. Joel Green.”

He pulled back the curtain, revealing a weathered face that looked as though it hadn’t smiled in quite some time.

“What are you in the hospital for? You’re just a kid!”

I told him the short version of my airplane crash the previous July. To my surprise, he remembered hearing about it.

Then, without any carefully rehearsed introduction, I asked him a question.

“Mr. Green, do you know Jesus Christ? He’s the reason I’m alive today. He’s given me a joy I never knew before and a purpose for living. Do you know Jesus as your Savior, sir?”

He looked away without answering.

I waited, still sensing the Holy Spirit prompting me to continue.

“Mr. Green, do you know about God’s free gift of salvation? Jesus offers us forgiveness and eternal life. That’s why He came.”

Again, silence.

Then something changed. The hardness in his expression began to soften. His eyes filled with tears.

Finally, he spoke.

“I’m a minister’s son,” he whispered. His voice trembled. “I’m seventy-seven years old, and I’ve been running from God all my life.”

He paused, struggling with his emotions.

“It’s too late for me now, Dale.”

“No, sir! No, Mr. Green. It’s not too late. It’s never too late to turn to Jesus while you’re still alive. God can forgive your past and give you a new beginning, even today.”

I explained that the Bible says God removes our transgressions as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). I told him how Jesus had forgiven me and given me a completely new life.

“Mr. Green, you don’t have to keep running. You can surrender your life to Jesus right now. And I believe you’ll be forever glad you did.”

Another long silence followed.

I wondered whether I’d been too bold. Perhaps too direct. But the love I felt for this man was overwhelming. I knew something eternal was at stake.

Finally, I asked, “Mr. Green, would you like to pray with me and ask Jesus to forgive you?”

He nodded.

“Yes,” he whispered. “I’d like that.”

Neither of us had a polished speech prepared. But we didn’t need one.

I helped him pray — asking God for forgiveness, turning from his sins, and inviting Jesus Christ to become his Savior and Lord.

Then I gave him an illustration from my life as a pilot.

I raised my hands as though I were holding the controls of an airplane.

“Mr. Green, for years I tried to fly my own life. I wanted to be in control. But the greatest decision I ever made was to surrender those controls to Jesus.”

I opened my hands and lifted them away from the imaginary flight controls.

“Now He’s in charge. My responsibility is to trust Him and obey what He tells me to do. It’s a wonderful way to live. And the best part is that one day we’ll be with Him in heaven.”

Tears were streaming down Mr. Green’s face. I reached for a napkin from the food tray and handed it to him.

To make a long story short, we became friends almost immediately. We talked about Jesus, forgiveness, heaven, and the wonderful future God promises those who belong to Him. We talked late into the night.

And then something remarkable happened.

When the nurse returned, the man who had been shouting complaints was suddenly gentle, considerate, and grateful.

She looked at him, then at me, with an expression of complete astonishment.

I smiled and gave her a little wink.

The change was unmistakable.

I’ve witnessed this many times since. When someone genuinely receives Jesus Christ, something begins to change on the inside. Sometimes that transformation is immediately visible. Other times it unfolds gradually. But new life has begun.

I’d seen something similar happen to my own father when I was young. He had been an angry man, and at times I was afraid of him. But one day, while taking a bath, he heard Stuart Hamblen’s song It Is No Secret (What God Can Do). Something in those words reached deep into his heart.

When he came out of the bathroom, my mother immediately sensed something different.

“What happened to you?” she asked.

My father began to weep.

“Did you just get saved?” she asked.

Jesus Christ can do what human effort cannot. He doesn’t merely improve our behavior. He gives us new life.

That evening, Mr. Green and I talked about what heaven would be like. He talked about seeing his mother, who had relentlessly prayed for him but had died without seeing the answer to her prayers.

The following day, I was wheeled into surgery. When they brought me back to my room, I immediately noticed something.

The bed beside mine was empty.

“Hey,” I asked the nurse, “where’s my buddy?”

I motioned toward Mr. Green’s bed.

Her expression changed.

“I’m sorry, Dale. Mr. Green died this morning.”

For a moment, I couldn’t speak.

My mind went back to the evening before. The drawn curtain. His angry voice. My desire to change rooms. That gentle prompting to pray. The overwhelming love I’d felt for a complete stranger.

And that little wiggle of the curtain.

I thought about how easily I could have ignored the Holy Spirit’s prompting. How easily I could have remained on my side of the room, concerned only with my own pain and problems.

But, thank the Lord, I hadn’t.

And now, because Mr. Green had placed his faith in Jesus Christ, I had the wonderful assurance that my new friend was safely in heaven.

I wasn’t grieving without hope. I was overwhelmed by the mercy of God.

A seventy-seven-year-old man who had spent his life running from God had finally stopped running. And just hours later, his earthly life was over.

That experience changed me.

I made a decision that day: I never wanted fear, inconvenience, or uncertainty to keep me from sharing the good news of Jesus Christ again.

I have since come to believe that God often arranges opportunities far beyond our understanding. What seems like an inconvenience may actually be a divine appointment.

I went into that hospital expecting another surgery. God had something else in mind. An eternal appointment

I’ve thought about Mr. Green many times over the years. And I’ve wondered whether there are lessons from that encounter that could help other believers lead someone to Jesus.

I don’t believe evangelism should be reduced to a formula. People are different. Circumstances are different. And the Holy Spirit knows exactly what each person needs.

Nevertheless, looking back, I can identify seven important principles that helped turn an unpleasant hospital experience into a glorious opportunity.

Seven Keys to Leading Someone to Jesus

1. See the person, not the problem.

At first, I saw Mr. Green as an inconvenience. But when I began wondering about his life and his spiritual condition, my attitude changed. Every difficult person has a story, and every person has a soul of eternal value.

2. Allow God’s love to lead you.

Before I spoke to Mr. Green, I felt compassion for him. That love changed my motivation. I wasn’t trying to win an argument or prove a point. I genuinely cared about him. People can often recognize the difference.

3. Listen for the Holy Spirit’s prompting—and obey.

I didn’t know what to say, but I sensed the Holy Spirit urging me to speak. Obedience came before understanding. Sometimes God gives us the next step only after we take the first one.

4. Begin a conversation, not a confrontation.

I started by asking his name. Then I listened and shared my own testimony. I didn’t begin by criticizing his behavior. A simple, sincere conversation opened the door to something much greater.

5. Keep Jesus and His gift of salvation at the center.

I didn’t offer Mr. Green a philosophy or a program for self-improvement. I told him about Jesus Christ, forgiveness, repentance, and eternal life. The gospel itself is the power of God to salvation (Romans 1:16).

6. Give the person an opportunity to respond.

There came a moment when I asked Mr. Green whether he wanted to pray. I didn’t pressure him, but I did give him an opportunity to make a decision. We should never assume someone isn’t ready simply because we don’t know what’s happening in their heart.

7. Trust God with the results.

I couldn’t change Mr. Green’s heart. Only God could do that. My responsibility was to love him, share the truth, and obey the Holy Spirit. The transformation belonged to God.

One Final Thought

Perhaps the most important lesson of all is this: Don’t underestimate what God can do through one small act of obedience.

I didn’t enter that hospital intending to lead anyone to Jesus. I was hurting, exhausted, and concerned about my own recovery.

All I did was respond to the Holy Spirit, walk across a few feet of hospital floor, and wiggle a curtain.

I had no idea that a man’s eternal destination was hanging in the balance.

Dear friend, someone in your life may be waiting on the other side of a curtain. It may be a neighbor, a coworker, a family member, or someone you’ve never met.

You don’t need to know everything. You don’t need a perfect presentation or all the right words. What you do need is a willing heart—one that is ready to love, listen, and obey. Remember, it is the Holy Spirit who convicts hearts and draws people to Jesus Christ. Our responsibility is to recognize His prompting, respond in faith, and share the hope we have in Him. God isn’t looking for perfect messengers. He’s looking for willing ones.

You may never fully realize what hangs in the balance when the Holy Spirit prompts you to reach out to someone. But your willingness to respond could change the course of that person’s eternity.

Because sometimes, the smallest act of obedience opens the door to the greatest miracle of someone’s life.

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” — Luke 19:10 (NKJV)

God bless you as you follow Jesus.