I have been letting it stew in me all weekend. I have shrugged it off. I have talked to God with no real assurance. I have racked my brain for an excuse. The inescapable truth is that as a minister, a follower of Christ, and a leader of young people I dropped the ball. Let me tell you this story so that you may not do the same.
Friday night my lovely wife Sarah and I took a Wal-Mart trip to Culpeper, Virginia. Because I ignored an initial warning sign my car gave me we ended up broken down on the side of the highway between Culpeper and Orange. It was bad enough to be broken down, but it was worse to be broken down with two little boys who were already up past their bedtime. To make matters worse I did not have my cell phone for the first time ever and my wife had few if any numbers of people from the church or friends that we might call for assistance.
Thankfully, Sarah was able to get in touch with the Lee family. W.T., who I am recommending for Baptist sainthood, dropped what he was doing on a Friday evening to come to our aid.
In the meantime, a truck stopped with a man and a woman in it. His name was Jerry and I believe hers was Tracy. They tried as best they could to help us fix the car. It was not to be. This woman just happened to be from Jonesboro, Arkansas where I have lived most of my life. To make it even weirder her family owned the Kitterman Cottages where my best friend Michael Morton lived, and where my wife was living the first time I met her. Crazy, huh?
W.T. Lee arrived and he ended up taking Sarah, the kids, and my groceries home. The other man, Jerry had a friend with a tow truck who he called and asked to help us for a price much better than anyone else would have after 10 p.m. I had at least a half hour alone and an hour and a half total with these two people. We talked about Arkansas. We talked about his job. We talked about their kids and the tough situations they are having with a blended family. Did I present the Gospel to them ? Absolutely not. I talked about church and what a blessing that they were being to us. but I never offered up the one thing I had to give them on the side of that highway. Jesus. They were there and they were probably willing to listen. I dropped the ball. I was so worried about my kids, my wife, and my car, that I did not to worry about their eternity. In short, I failed.
Why would I tell anyone this? Not exactly a great resume item-failure. Here is why. I have learned from this experience that no matter what we have to keep our eyes open for these divine appointments. My belief in the sovereignty of God says that if they are going to be saved they will be, but that is not the point entirely. I could have been used of God that night, and then it would have been more than an unexpected hit to my budget. It would have been a blessing to them and to my family, and Saint W.T. for that matter. I even had my witnessing New Testament in my pocket. The problems of this world distracted me from the things of God. I will not soon forget it. It brings me to tears even now.
My hope and prayer is that you learn from my mistake. Do not miss the chance to change someone's eternity by being God's instrument. Do not feel the deep ceded regret that I do. I will pray, ask forgiveness, and move on, but I will never forget. Please do not ever have to feel the way I am right now..
Be encouraged. Evangelize. Make an eternal difference today.
Bro. Russell
Friday night my lovely wife Sarah and I took a Wal-Mart trip to Culpeper, Virginia. Because I ignored an initial warning sign my car gave me we ended up broken down on the side of the highway between Culpeper and Orange. It was bad enough to be broken down, but it was worse to be broken down with two little boys who were already up past their bedtime. To make matters worse I did not have my cell phone for the first time ever and my wife had few if any numbers of people from the church or friends that we might call for assistance.
Thankfully, Sarah was able to get in touch with the Lee family. W.T., who I am recommending for Baptist sainthood, dropped what he was doing on a Friday evening to come to our aid.
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| Saint W.T. Lee |
In the meantime, a truck stopped with a man and a woman in it. His name was Jerry and I believe hers was Tracy. They tried as best they could to help us fix the car. It was not to be. This woman just happened to be from Jonesboro, Arkansas where I have lived most of my life. To make it even weirder her family owned the Kitterman Cottages where my best friend Michael Morton lived, and where my wife was living the first time I met her. Crazy, huh?
W.T. Lee arrived and he ended up taking Sarah, the kids, and my groceries home. The other man, Jerry had a friend with a tow truck who he called and asked to help us for a price much better than anyone else would have after 10 p.m. I had at least a half hour alone and an hour and a half total with these two people. We talked about Arkansas. We talked about his job. We talked about their kids and the tough situations they are having with a blended family. Did I present the Gospel to them ? Absolutely not. I talked about church and what a blessing that they were being to us. but I never offered up the one thing I had to give them on the side of that highway. Jesus. They were there and they were probably willing to listen. I dropped the ball. I was so worried about my kids, my wife, and my car, that I did not to worry about their eternity. In short, I failed.
Why would I tell anyone this? Not exactly a great resume item-failure. Here is why. I have learned from this experience that no matter what we have to keep our eyes open for these divine appointments. My belief in the sovereignty of God says that if they are going to be saved they will be, but that is not the point entirely. I could have been used of God that night, and then it would have been more than an unexpected hit to my budget. It would have been a blessing to them and to my family, and Saint W.T. for that matter. I even had my witnessing New Testament in my pocket. The problems of this world distracted me from the things of God. I will not soon forget it. It brings me to tears even now.
My hope and prayer is that you learn from my mistake. Do not miss the chance to change someone's eternity by being God's instrument. Do not feel the deep ceded regret that I do. I will pray, ask forgiveness, and move on, but I will never forget. Please do not ever have to feel the way I am right now..
Be encouraged. Evangelize. Make an eternal difference today.
Bro. Russell
I wrote a crazy long reply... almost as long as your article and then it signed me out :(.
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is that you are not responsible for their salvation. Like Eli's sons Hophni and Pheneas (spelling?), they didn't do their job and God said he'd raise another in their place. Their eternal salvation isn't on the line here, it was only your opportunity to obey your Father. We aren't nearly as important in God's film as we think we are, there are others who can do the job. We *get* the *opportunity* to obey God, to humble ourselves, to become obedient like Christ - but God will take care of the saving and the other divine appointments. Their eternal destiny does not rely on you opening your mouth... only your obedience to God.
Just keep making opportunities and keep obeying as you've been doing. Sons don't become sinners (in nature) but sons sin (in action). Keep turning your central being to become more like Christ, one slip doesn't change the whole process.
I'm not sure that is baptist or Towns-approved but it is what I've come away from in instances like that. Keep up the good fight, bro.
I am with you on your conclusion, it still leaves a bad taste. Towns may not approve. It is a bit too Calvinistic for his liking.
ReplyDeleteHang in there buddy, we've all dropped the ball. It's good that you keep picking it back up.
ReplyDelete