High School was for me as it is for a lot of people. It was a time of trying to figure out who I am. Looking back, the scariest part is that there were a whole lot of us high school kids trying to figure out this ‘life’ thing out. And, of course, in our infinite wisdom, we trusted each other for guidance. (Sheesh! Talk about the blind leading the blind.)
Enter my old friend ‘T.’ He seemed to have it all together, at least by our very poor standards. He was tough and a little scary (sorry, dude…he’s reading this) but he took care of folks who got out of control or in trouble from time to time. (I think I still owe him a ‘thank you.’) He was also pretty mysterious. No one really knew about his family. His mom was never home. I remember a stepdad, I think. He occasionally talked about a brother who was somewhere. Once he accidentally shot someone. That made him even cooler and more mysterious. He had serious street cred. I always speculated that he was into some nefarious activity, but I wasn’t about to ask. Come to think of it, it’s sort of a ‘The Man, the Myth, the Legend’ kind of situation. And, as far as knowing Jesus? Well, that seemed like the last subject in the world you’d want to bring up with him. I suppose that there had been a ‘Who’s Who’ for ‘Most Likely to Be a Believer in Jesus,’ I wouldn’t have voted for him.
Enter my old friend ‘T.’ He seemed to have it all together, at least by our very poor standards. He was tough and a little scary (sorry, dude…he’s reading this) but he took care of folks who got out of control or in trouble from time to time. (I think I still owe him a ‘thank you.’) He was also pretty mysterious. No one really knew about his family. His mom was never home. I remember a stepdad, I think. He occasionally talked about a brother who was somewhere. Once he accidentally shot someone. That made him even cooler and more mysterious. He had serious street cred. I always speculated that he was into some nefarious activity, but I wasn’t about to ask. Come to think of it, it’s sort of a ‘The Man, the Myth, the Legend’ kind of situation. And, as far as knowing Jesus? Well, that seemed like the last subject in the world you’d want to bring up with him. I suppose that there had been a ‘Who’s Who’ for ‘Most Likely to Be a Believer in Jesus,’ I wouldn’t have voted for him.
Well, guess what? A brave soul invited him to church. I guess they weren’t intimidated by him, or maybe they understood that loving God means loving others…and that includes everybody. Maybe they just trusted God enough to forget their own insecurities and fears and act with audacious faith! Maybe, just maybe, they started walking out what they say they believe. The crazy part of this story is that he actually went to church with them. He didn’t immediately give it all over to the LORD, but it did happen.
I had no idea that he was a follower of Jesus until a couple of years ago. We got in touch over Facebook. He told me what God was doing in his life. He told me the incredible story of where he’d been and where he was now. He was in charge of a recovery ministry at his church, and he and his wife were expecting their first child. Amazing! Last week, as we were preparing for ‘By Invitation Only,’ he sent me a little message through Facebook. After reading it, I asked him if I could share it with the Mt Olive congregation. I hope it will kick your audacious faith into high gear. It definitely has for me.
From ‘T’
I had one who, to them, I wasn’t known as the counselor, the comforter, the protector, the keeper of secrets, the sounding board that they needed. They saw a lost soul, became my friend and invited me to their church. I was lost, but didn’t show it, just kinda rolled with the flow.
They made sure that I was picked up and brought back when I wanted to go, and never pried into my home life, but always had suggestions for ways to improve my reputation. They were in my life for a season, when I was just starting to shut people out and building up my walls. They gave me the outlet that I needed; they didn’t have to see my pain, instead they allowed One greater than them to use them to help give me the direction I was looking for.
Their season ended and I was left to choose the life I wanted. The choices I made from that day until I allowed God back into my life were left up to me and only me. The choices and consequences of those decisions, I have to life with but God has taken away the burden of me carrying them. They are what helped me to be the person I am today. They don’t define me, but I can’t hid from them either.
It took one person to allow God to use them for a reason that they didn’t know. Did they ever ask God ‘why me?, ‘why him?’ I often wonder what if they would have said ‘no, he is unreachable, a lost cause, and never reached out.’ Where would I be today?
I know that after our short time spent together that God knew what His plan for me was, and that threw out all the bad decisions that I made, that He was just waiting for that day for His lost son to come home. See, there was a grain as small as a mustard seed planted in my heart from that first day that I was invited to church. For the next 11 years, God allowed it to grow at a very slow rate until that day I asked Him for help, for Him to take away my hurt and pain. That seed that was planted was finally allowed to grow and to make me the person I am today.
Remember, all God wants us to do is to plant His seeds. He is the gardener, and He will know when His crops need to be watered, plucked, and when they are ready to mature. When is the last time that you decided to plant God’s seeds and allow His to do the rest?
Thank you, to that person, for being in my life for that season, and for not saying ‘no.’
-Sarah
To read other entries in the Sun Stand Still blog, please click here
I had no idea that he was a follower of Jesus until a couple of years ago. We got in touch over Facebook. He told me what God was doing in his life. He told me the incredible story of where he’d been and where he was now. He was in charge of a recovery ministry at his church, and he and his wife were expecting their first child. Amazing! Last week, as we were preparing for ‘By Invitation Only,’ he sent me a little message through Facebook. After reading it, I asked him if I could share it with the Mt Olive congregation. I hope it will kick your audacious faith into high gear. It definitely has for me.
From ‘T’
I had one who, to them, I wasn’t known as the counselor, the comforter, the protector, the keeper of secrets, the sounding board that they needed. They saw a lost soul, became my friend and invited me to their church. I was lost, but didn’t show it, just kinda rolled with the flow.
They made sure that I was picked up and brought back when I wanted to go, and never pried into my home life, but always had suggestions for ways to improve my reputation. They were in my life for a season, when I was just starting to shut people out and building up my walls. They gave me the outlet that I needed; they didn’t have to see my pain, instead they allowed One greater than them to use them to help give me the direction I was looking for.
Their season ended and I was left to choose the life I wanted. The choices I made from that day until I allowed God back into my life were left up to me and only me. The choices and consequences of those decisions, I have to life with but God has taken away the burden of me carrying them. They are what helped me to be the person I am today. They don’t define me, but I can’t hid from them either.
It took one person to allow God to use them for a reason that they didn’t know. Did they ever ask God ‘why me?, ‘why him?’ I often wonder what if they would have said ‘no, he is unreachable, a lost cause, and never reached out.’ Where would I be today?
I know that after our short time spent together that God knew what His plan for me was, and that threw out all the bad decisions that I made, that He was just waiting for that day for His lost son to come home. See, there was a grain as small as a mustard seed planted in my heart from that first day that I was invited to church. For the next 11 years, God allowed it to grow at a very slow rate until that day I asked Him for help, for Him to take away my hurt and pain. That seed that was planted was finally allowed to grow and to make me the person I am today.
Remember, all God wants us to do is to plant His seeds. He is the gardener, and He will know when His crops need to be watered, plucked, and when they are ready to mature. When is the last time that you decided to plant God’s seeds and allow His to do the rest?
Thank you, to that person, for being in my life for that season, and for not saying ‘no.’
-Sarah
To read other entries in the Sun Stand Still blog, please click here
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