Aug
17
What matters most?
I had an incredible experience yesterday. It was one that I wasn’t expecting to have at all, but it is one that I am excited and forever thankful for.
I walk back into the office from lunch and I see one of our awesome admin’s looking for a minister. There was a lady that was with her sick mom and all they wanted was to talk to a minister and have someone pray with them. For some reason, it took Greg Lee to talk me into being the minister that they were looking for. It is weird however for me to think about why on earth would I not take the 10 to 15 minutes out of my day to talk to this family? I came up with all sorts of excuses in my head:
- I am not the one they are looking for
- It would sound better coming from someone older
- why me?
- What do I say?
As I sat is Greg’s office talking to him, it dawned on me that as a minister/pastor, I have the ability to pray for people. Granted, everyone has the ability to pray. But for some reason it dawned on me that I have the ability to help a family in a small way of just listening and praying to our God for that family.
In a way, it was a little intimidating. It was one of those thoughts that made me step back and think “dang, I have the ability to be called upon to pray for people.” In a way, that is a nerve racking and scary thought. However it also made me think about the ordinary people that God has used throughout history to bring his message.
Needless to say, after a hesitancy that I wish I didn’t have, I agreed to meet with this family. Called them up and told them I would meet them in the parking lot to listen and pray.
This is where the conversation turned and I will never forget what happened.
Not really sure how old she was, but I learned very quickly that she suffered from either Alzheimer’s or Dementia. Maybe they are directly related but what was explained to me was that she began to remember things about her life that she couldn’t remember before hand. That has to be scary in the first place. The worst part of it, what she remembered was the pain that she had dealt with in life. Divorce, loss, moving. All things that have the ability to make anyone cringe. She however continued to talk about one thing and one thing only.
Stronghurst, Illinois.
It was an interesting thing to talk about, but as we continued our conversation it became clear:
” I want to go back to the Christian Church where I got baptized.”
That is all she could think about. Nothing else. Nothing else in her mind ( or at least that is how it seemed ) mattered. Her daughter explained that all she has been talking about is moving back to where she grew up. Where she went to church. Where she gave her life to Christ.
All that mattered to an old lady, was where she gave her life to Christ.
I started to cry on the inside. My heart jumped. My mind was not ready for that.
She has changed my thought on the power of baptism. The power of giving up something to gain everything. The power of a death, burial and resurrection. The power of a God that proves HIS perfect love over and over. The power of a moment in our earthly life that means a lifetime of change.
She was kind enough to allow me to pray for her. In a moment where I wanted her to pray for me, I was able to prayer for this remarkable lady that I knew really nothing about.
All I know if that my life has been changed because of her passion for wanting to go back to the place she gave her life to Christ.
I was 7 years old. I was a PK. We were at an all church picnic in the mountains. We got into what at the seemed to be an ocean of water. My dad walked me in to the water.
Dad: Brendon, I would like you to repeat after me…I believe, that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living God. And I accept him as my Lord and Savior.
Brendon: I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living God. And I accept him as my Lord and Savior.
In the middle of a pool, on a perfect Northeast day, I gave my life to Christ. Not knowing what lied ahead. The mess ups. The heart ache. The trials. The joy. The friends. The mission. The Journey. Not knowing any of that, I was able to get dunked by my Dad and I will never forget it.
Just like her, I am in amazement of the power of God as I sit and re-think about this moment in my life.
When did you give your life to Christ? Do you remember it like it was yesterday?
I pray that all of you that read this will get the opportunity to talk to someone like Joanne that will remind you:
All that matters in our life, is the Love, the perfect Love that God has for each of his children. HIS perfect love will never change.
1 John 4:9-10
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
