Dancing in the Light

I John 1:7 "If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin."

Name:
Location: North Platte, Nebraska, United States

I am a christian wife, mother and grandmother. I am a licensed Social worker and a licensed Christian counselor. I am most proud of the relationships I have with God, my family and friends all over the world. I have been blessed beyond my dreams.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Accidental Christian

There was a young single man, working in the secular world, the only one of his immediate family who was not a member of the church. His brother was a gospel preacher. His sister, a teacher at a local christian pre-school. His father, a deacon in the Lord's church. His entire family lived for the Lord and offered many prayers on behalf of this man. Yet, he continued to live the life of the world. There were not many worldly pleasures he did not pursue or partake of. He worked in a factory for many years, working much overtime, the money coming in handy for the purchase of drugs and alcohol and guns. He purchased a house and a truck, took vacations and spent his money enjoying himself.
For Mother's Day, this man asked his mom what he could get her that would make her happy. She asked for only one thing, that he come to worship with her on Mother's Day. (He would have preferred to buy her something.) But, wanting to please his mother, he got up early that Sunday in May. He showered and combed his long, curly hair, securing it in a ponytail. He put a earring in, (a miniature handcuff), put on his only suit and went to church. Out of his comfort zone, he walked into the building and sat in the pew with his family, his mother's happiness evident on her face. The service seemed to go on forever but the man convinced himself this was for his mother. The invitation was finally offered, the final prayer finally said, and the family made their way to leave, anticipating the nice lunch that would follow. As they made their way to the back doors, an older gentleman approached the family. As introductions were made and hands shook, he took notice of the young man with the earring and ponytail, and taking the young man's hand, he snarled, "Why don't you get a haircut". The young man felt the anger rage inside him. In another place, at another time, that old man would have found himself picking himself up from the floor, and he would have needed help. The young man thought about this incident all during lunch. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He wanted revenge, but he didn't want to go to jail. He finally decided the best way to get even was to go to church everytime the doors were opened, just to annoy that older gentleman. He told himself it wouldn't be long until his constant presence would give that old man a heart attack. And he smiled. And so, Sunday after Sunday, Wednesday after Wednesday this young man came to church---coming just to aggravate this old man. He made sure he did his drinking on Friday night instead of Saturday so he would be able to come to church. He didn't take extra shifts on Wednesday night so he could come to church.
I know you can guess what happened? This young man began to change. He discovered several things that caused him concern. He discovered there were several Christians, even an elder, who worked with him at the factory, and he wondered why he'd never known they were Christians. He noticed many of the lessons were negative, lessons about how sinful denominational practices were and he didn't understand why folks needed to hear so much of that. But, then there was a gospel meeting. He decided to attend, a decision that would change his life forever. For the first time, he heard about grace. He decided he had to have it. He became a Christian that very night. He took a leave of absence from the factory and attended preaching school. He came back to work in his home town at a small, struggling congregation. He kept his factory job, determined to make sure others knew he was a Christian. It wasn't easy for him to change all the bad habits and some of his old wild friends were uncomfortable with this new man and the life he lived.
This is a true story. I share it with you as a follow up to yesterday's question regarding eternal significance. There were so many events in this man's life that were indeed eternally significant. They were not accidental. Those events were used by God to bring salvation. Those events were used by God to bring this man to a life of service in the Kingdom. Those events are already leading others to salvation. And those events were used by God to bring me the most amazing, godly, Christian husband. Praise God for each of those eternally significant events!

Peace
Neva

23 Comments:

Blogger The Preacher's Household: said...

Neva,

You know I knew this one after about a sentence. It is so true though. God does used even our spiteful decisions sometimes. Thanks for sharing Mr. Neva.

James

8:27 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That's a fantastic and beautiful story. I know we can all look back and see small things, seemingly unimportant things, that happened in our lives to bring us to the place where we are now. I praise God for those small, eternally significant things that brought your husband to Christ, that eventually brought your husband to you. Much love, Lisa

8:35 AM  
Blogger Bob Bliss said...

Great story Neva. I hope I can meet him some day. Amazing that a simply critical remark was used by God to create eternal significance. God is great! He can use anything on this earth to bring about glory to Him.

8:52 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes that elder died. No I didn't do it.

Mr Neva

9:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow--what a great story. Our God makes even little things whether positive or negative things of eternal significance. Thanks for sharing that with us.
Jean

9:42 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What an awesome God we have. I know that Ned has blessed so many lives, including yours. And i am sure each of those events was eternally significant to him.

Good thoughts
Dan

10:09 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It was no accident---but always God's intent for Ned to be a Christian--it just took the comments of others to persuade Ned.
Loved the story and love you guys
Carol

10:18 AM  
Blogger The Preacher's Household: said...

Mr. Neva,

How long after did he pass?

Kath

10:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great story--Neva


Karli

11:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I knew this story was personal-good job. I am so amazed at the way GOd works in our lives through all the trivia, one time, moment encounters. I love that He can take all our little foibles and faults and use them to bring someone to him. This is a great post--Thank you for sharing it with us.

Pat

11:49 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ahhh--the eternal significance of a man's soul

What profiteth a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?


Interested Bystander

12:07 PM  
Blogger Mommysmart said...

Love the story! The true stories about God's work in our lives are the ones that we NEED to share. I would say that eveything in that story had eternal significance. I hope that he lost the handcuff earring.

1:29 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What a good reminder that everything we do can be eternally significant to someone else.

Dean

2:09 PM  
Blogger Larissa said...

Good post. It gives me hope for other people I know. I do believe everything can be eternally significant. Sometimes we just can't see it, b/c we don't know the bigger picture of how God is working.

3:27 PM  
Blogger The Preacher's Household: said...

And to think, the biker boy ended up more conservative than me! I do think things have eternal significance but sometimes we have to get past our own limited temporal conceptions first before we can recognize the eternal.
Kathy

4:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Isn't God good? What a great story.


Yvonne

5:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I like this--I like the idea that every little thing we do can be used by God to save someones soul--pretty humbling.

Rachel

5:27 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good post.
Lyndsay

5:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Many have stories like this--when people inadvertantly said something that led or discouraged someone from being the Lords. I thought this was a good reminder
thank you


Eileen

9:54 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Our "accidnets" are often used by God to bring others to him. Praise God for his love and power.

10:05 PM  
Blogger Stoned-Campbell Disciple said...

Neva thank you for sharing a great story.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

12:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What a great testimony and exhortation to live every day all day like we live for God and to never underestimate his power to save.

Good post!!!!
Mary

5:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Neva,
This story gives me hope!
Thank you for the new list of scriptures, my husband is looking at them with me.

KSL

5:32 PM  

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