35 Years Old Yesterday!

OK, that's 35 years since I was born of the Spirit. I had planned to write about this last night after Leelan went to sleep but had computer issues so I'm a day late...but in the scope of eternity, a few hours is less than a blink.

It was 35 years ago that a friend from high school and I sat in his car talking, and he told me that we aren't guaranteed even the next breath, and if I didn't have one, what my eternity would be like without Christ. This was the culmination of a lot of prayer and sharing by others, though. It didn't hit me that night. Others spent years prior telling me about Jesus and hearing me reject His message over and over again. Yet they persisted, gently at times, not-so-gently at others.

I know my sister dedicated her life to serving Christ several years before, and tried to tell me about Him, but I wouldn't listen. It had no meaning to me. And I'm sure she was praying for me during that time...

My friend Alona never gave up either. We'd hang out, play games, listen to music - CHRISTIAN music (remember the album Love Peace Joy? I knew every word to every song, I heard it so often at her house!) - and talk. And she patiently listened to every argument against Christianity that I could muster, and remained my friend, and didn't give up on me, and continued to share Him with me.

So my heart was ready that night that Jim forced me to make a choice. Forced is a strong word, but he told me I had to either accept the salvation that God was offering to me, or flat-out reject Him. And he informed me clearly what my eternity would be like if I rejected Him. So that night, Jim's Bible there between us and the Word that he and others had shared filling my heart, I prayed with him...

Then I went home, feeling so different, so light, so open, not hard anymore, thinking and seeing everything differently than I had just an hour earlier, I was a changed person, in those minutes my life was changed. Gwen came into my room and asked me what was wrong with me, it was so noticeable. I remember clearly, as if it were yesterday, I asked her, "Can you get saved in a CAR?"

God had called me. His Spirit was working in those around me, whom He'd put into my path. And in His timing and plan, He brought me Home.

I think of this a lot. I think of all the people - hopefully me included! - who make a difference in the lives and hearts of people around us when we're obedient to the Spirit. We may not see them make a choice to accept Christ's offer and live a life of joyful service to Him, we may not know where they will choose to spend their eternity, but we can know that - like Gwen and Alona - we are allowing the Spirit to reach them through us, and He will see it through.

Jesus tell us, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (Jn.14:1-3)

Where He is, there I may be also...that is what it is all about! Thank you Gwen, Alona, and Jim...thanks for making sure that we all will be where He is!