Testimony IV: And We Shall be as Children

Seven years. One of those significant Biblical numbers - God does a lot of things in periods of seven. Remember, my wife was not a Bible reader (nor ever had been) but for the next seven years did this:

1 Peter 3:1 In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Then, even if some are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without a word by the way you live, 2 when they see your pure and reverent conduct.

In seven years, we had two discussions on religion:

1. the first two days when she and I found out where we stood;
2. when my wife found out she was pregnant four years into our marriage she said she wanted to raise our child christian.

However, every day she prayed for my salvation. I am convinced this happened:

Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told them a parable to show them they should always pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. 3 There was also a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but later on he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people, 5 yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out by her unending pleas..'"

God just got tired of listening to her.

I used to bone up all week at the library in Joplin; and then go to a "coffee house" they had at Ozark Bible College to evangelize hippies so I could bash on students about evolution. My friend John W. went once and saw them "save" a Catholic - so he boned up on Catholic apologetics and went and bashed on them about Catholicism. For 16 years, I spent lots of time preparing to, and hammering, christian belief and theology from a variety of positions. I now am just able to argue with me then.

A women moved in next to our apartment: Ok K., A Korean women enrolled in seminary; and somehow she had gotten by the test on her English skills to get admitted. I was in school at the time, and she asked me to edit her papers for her Old Testament class. I agreed, and could keep my opinions out (or they would have expelled her) - and God had me in the Word.

Alan R. was a business associate of mine. Successful, loving, with a wonderful wife and children. He was the first person I had ever met that I would have preferred to be. He had fruit - and he gave all credit to God. Three years before I met him his wife and him were strung out on cocaine and ready to divorce. They met Christ. After the hypocrisy that blew me out of the church, I had to see a christian man walking the walk. That was Alan R.

My daughter was two years old. I knew that my wife needed the church; and wanted my daughter to attend. I also knew she feared going to church will a daughter, and not a husband. She knew she would get attitude either with no husband; or a pagan for one. She had experienced this with her first daughter - having never married that time. I offered to help her find a church; and would attend with her. After all, God didn't exist so He wouldn't strike me with lightning when I walked in the door. We went to Alan's church - and it was expositional. God had me back in church; and deeper in the Word.

Four months later, at a weekend business seminar in Spokane (Alan and my wife were there) the organizers put together a Sunday morning non-denominational service for the attenders that were christian. I went with my wife. I would not have said going in that I was any closer to accepting Christ than I had been four years before. She got sick halfway through the service; and finished out the service in the car. She told me to stay - she would be right back after some air - and I did. At the end of the service, there was an alter call (accompanied by "Amazing Grace" of course) and my pride broke. I found myself weeping on my knees in front of the stage; admitting the failure to run my life; and giving my life and myself to Christ. If my wife had been there I might never have gotten out of my seat.

I said at the time that my heart had written a check my head could not cash. I have certainly cashed it since.

My first service as a new christian was Easter. The next week I was baptised by Alan R. Two weeks after that I had the honor to baptise my wife; who saved my life. Four years later, I had the priviledge of baptising my daughter. Two months ago I celebrated my tenth birthday. God is Great.

The Beginning.