Day # 19

Mark 5:1-20 Go Home and Tell..Before I go on about today's reading, I have to tell about my $10 challenge! I had several ideas, some, no, most were non-threatening ways, like write a note and send with the money. Or drop off the money to a ministry of my choice. But no, God said to listen and wait on Him. He gave me this idea last night to go out for a meal and give to the waitress. I prayed about it, even asked God to send somebody to my office asking for money. (That's happened on many occasions! But not this week.) But I knew I had to step out and seek. So I asked around to see who would go to lunch with me. One coworker prayed for me and the chosen one. One was too busy to even listen to my plan and challenge. One listened, felt my trepidation, but in the end didn’t go with me. But one, my faithful buddy, chose to hold my hand through the process of stepping out of my comfort zone. We went to Bob Evans for lunch; I was excited, anxious, and wary. We were seated and our waiter, not waitress waited on us. When he gave us our checks I jumped. Tongue tied, and not making much sense I handed him the envelope. I asked if he had a minute. He looked nervous, and pretended to be taking our order. I told him about our church giving us money and giving us a challenge to share it with somebody along with the truth. I asked him if he knew Jesus. He replied that he went to a small general Baptist church in town, hadn't been lately but planed to go back. We told him about where we worked. He seemed interested, but cautious. I asked him if there was anything we could pray for him for. He said that he had just come through a rough time and that his church family was helping him through it. His name is Max. Please pray for Max. Now on to today's reading...What has God done in my life? Where do I begin? At the beginning? My memory is sketchy at best. As far back as I can remember I think I was about 5. There was this very small church in our subdivision. I'm not sure how I got there. I think it was a Baptist church. They were having a vacation bible school in a trailer set up in the front yard of the church. I remember playing with play do, that's all. I remember when I was a little older walking to church with my brother, sometimes by myself. I walked to Saturday school as well. We went to a Catholic church. I remember when I was even older I started to go to Monday night youth meetings, CYC. I remember my first communion, my first confession, my confirmation. I remember sitting in church listening to all the different voices singing Gods praises. It was so beautiful. I remember moving away, but still yearning for church. I read my bible and prayed to God. I remember getting married in the Catholic Church, a beautiful wedding! I also remember crying myself to sleep night after night as a teen ager thinking that if I never woke up nobody would even miss me. I remember crying and praying to God for help on my tests at school, grade school all the way to High school. I remember my parents fighting and yelling horrible words at each other. I remember praying to God to make it through another day. Then, I remember how God answered my prayers, how He brought my now wonderful husband into my life. How He kept me from harm’s way more than I will ever know. How He brought our family to a wonderful church! How He brought the deacons and pastor to our home to tell us about how Jesus died on the cross for our sins. How we needed to confess our sins, ask for God's forgiveness through the blood of Jesus, and accept Jesus’ sacrifice accepting the gift of everlasting life with God in Heaven. That wonderful day was in August of 1981, less than two months after we were married. I honestly don't know how anybody in this crazy world can make it without knowing Jesus. I mean, I know God protected me before I became a Christian, I know God answered my prayers, because I believed in Him. I also know the first time I heard the truth at my kitchen table that August evening; I had to make a choice. A choice that would change my life forever. If I would've waited, refused, or laughed it off, I would probably not be here today. It was like God told me that night, this is it. Believe or our relationship as I knew it would be gone. But I believed, because God Himself told me so. And our relationship just keeps getting better, in spite of my constant mess ups! Yeah, our God is like that! He Loves us no matter what! Isn't that the most Awesome thing you can ever imagine!?