Jim Leggett loves to share the Word of God.

On many Saturday mornings he can be found in the parking lot outside McDonald’s in Edenton doing just that. Leggett offers a $40 Food Lion gift certificate to anyone who can recite two verses of Scripture from memory.

It’s something Leggett has been doing since last November when he started the effort in a public park downtown, offering small amounts of cash. Leggett later switched to gift certificates to help people buy groceries because, he said, he thought it was safer and more practical.

Response has been slight so far, Leggett said, but he’s not giving up.

“I like to think of this as a spiritual stimulus,” said Leggett, “in the same way that the government offered its stimulus dollars for things like the cash for clunkers program. That’s what gave me the idea.”

Leggett emphasized that he does not preach to those who meet him in the parking lot. But he does listen, for instance, like when a parent and child showed up recently to recite Scripture in exchange for a gift certificate.

“While they were here, we did talk a little about the two Scriptures (that were recited) and what they meant,” Leggett said. “Then we went our separate ways.”

It was a brief encounter but one that Leggett hopes got the family thinking more about including the Word of God in their lives.

“I believe the majority of Americans have a Bible in their homes,” Leggett said, “but I sometimes wonder how often they read it and make what it says a part of their daily lives. That’s what I’m trying to encourage them to do.”

By encouraging someone to recite Scripture, Leggett figures he helps that person keep God’s Word in their heart.

Leggett said he came to Christ as a 10 year old living on a farm in his hometown of Bear Grass, near Williamston.

But, Leggett said, “I didn’t grow in my faith until I got to college at North Carolina State University.” Even then, he said, he struggled with developing the spirit of obedience that he needed to be faithful to a Christian way of life. But he persevered.

In 1996, Leggett moved from Fayetteville to Edenton with his wife to take a job with the local N.C. Department of Transportation office as a district traffic engineer.

One day not longer after that, his life changed dramatically. He and a co-worker were working in Elizabeth City that day and decided to drive to Sunbury for lunch at Jimmy’s Barbecue.

After they received their order, Leggett said, “I took a couple of bites of food, my eyes rolled back in my head and I just passed out.”

Leggett was rushed to Obici Hospital in Virginia where doctors determined he had a brain stem aneurysm.

They were able to clamp it and save Leggett’s life but when he awoke he had lost many of the motor skills that he had taken for granted such as walking and talking.

“I looked like I’d had a stroke,” Leggett said.

With the help of his wife who is a physical therapist, and hospital staff, Leggett was able to relearn those skills.

Months later, as part of his follow-up care, Leggett said, “I went to UNC-Chapel Hill for treatment with high-density radiation to dry up the area of the aneurysm.” It took about three months to complete the process.

After those initial treatments, Leggett said, he was told the area had shrunk to about half its original size. Leggett told his doctors he did not wish to continue the radiation treatments because of their possible effect on his overall health.

“I told them I felt that the quality of a person’s life was more important than the quantity,” Leggett said, noting that the radiation treatments had caused him to lose some of his motor skills once again.

In 2000, Leggett retired from DOT to continue focusing on his recovery.

These days, Leggett’s health is good and his motor skills are restored. He is careful to avoid stress or anything that might raise his blood pressure.

But Leggett, an optimist, looks at what happened to him as an opportunity that allows him to have more time to share God’s Word with others.

His friend, Bob Taylor, a deacon at Edenton Baptist Church where Leggett is a member, said that Leggett’s faith is an inspiration to others.

“I’ve known Jim about six or seven years,” Taylor said. “He and I have supper together at the church every Wednesday night.”

“Ever since I’ve known him he has always been interested in reaching out to people to share his faith, and I find that commendable,” Taylor said.

Leggett said he did not start the spiritual stimulus to draw attention to himself, but added that he hoped some publicity about his efforts would encourage people to come and participate.

Leggett regularly posts a notice in the Chowan Herald’s community calendar to let people know which Saturdays he will be at McDonald’s.

“I intend to keep on doing it,” Leggett said, despite the slow response so far. “I think it’s the right thing to do.”