Entry No. 55 - THIS IS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT FOLKS – Part IV I wasn’t sure if Lonnie would really keep our appointment to meet for lunch. I was afraid that he might have been turned off by our conversation the day before. But he contacted me in the morning to make sure that I was still planning on meeting. I was working in the Linfield Archives last summer so we agreed to meet in the McMinnville City Park on my lunch break. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Kelsey and the boys had come with him. To be honest, it was very awkward at first. I wasn’t expecting Kelsey and I didn’t know if this meant that they had worked things out or exactly what the situation was. I didn’t feel comfortable coming right out and asking what was going on. We found a spot under a tree and ate our sandwiches on the ground. After about 40 minutes, I said, “Well, I better get back to work, but before I go, I’d like to pray with you.” They agreed. As I prayed, I felt the Lord revealing things to me about Lonnie and Kelsey -- things about their past and the desires of their heart. Finally, I said, “Father, your word tells us that no one comes to the Father except through Jesus Christ and I don’t understand what is preventing Lonnie and Kelsey from coming to you, but you know what those barriers are and I ask that you break down those barriers. In the name of Jesus, Amen.” As soon as I was done praying I looked at Kelsey and I said, “Kelsey, I know you have gone to church in the past, but I don’t know where you are in your relationship with Jesus.” She said, “I don’t know what you mean.” I said, “You know me, and you know that I don’t normally go around preaching at people about Jesus. So if you want me to be quiet, just tell me now and I will be quiet.” She said she did want to know more. I asked her if she had ever asked Jesus to be her savior. She said, “I believe in him, but I didn’t know if I’ve ever asked him into my heart.” With a boldness that was not normal for me, I said, “Do you want to do that right now?” Both Lonnie and Kelsey spoke at the same time and with great emotion they said, “Yes, I do!” Little Myles (who was five or six years old) had been running around while Lonnie, Kelsey and I had been sitting in a circle under the tree. Kelsey had the baby in her lap. As soon as Lonnie and Kelsey said they wanted to ask Jesus into their hearts, Myles came into the circle and said, “What are you doing?” One of us answered, “We are going to ask Jesus into our hearts.” Myles said, “I want to do that too!” So he sat down between Lonnie and Kelsey – and across from me. We all took hands and I asked if they wanted to pray on their own or if they wanted me to lead them in the prayer of salvation. Lonnie said they would repeat after me. So I began to pray out loud, “Heavenly Father, thank you for your son Jesus.” All three of them repeated those words in unison – my heart was overwhelmed with joy and emotion. I continued, “I believe that Jesus died for my sins.” Again, they all repeated those words in unison. “Lord, I confess my need for a savior and I ask you to come into my heart today.” At this point, Lonnie becomes too emotional to speak out loud, but Kelsey and Myles are still able to pray out loud. As I prayed the final sentence of the prayer, Kelsey becomes too emotional to speak as well. Only little Myles is left to speak out loud on behalf of his parents. “Thank you for dying on the cross for me. Amen.” It was a beautiful moment, especially because as I prayed for them over the past two years, I prayed for them as one. So to have all three of them praying as one and little Myles praying on behalf of his family in the end, moves me beyond words. God is indescribable!! That’s what it’s all about. On July 29, 2013, Lonnie, Kelsey, and Myles accepted God’s invitation to be a part of his family and to allow him to be their Lord. As excited as we were about what had just happened, we all knew there would be challenges ahead. And there have been. There have been times when they have wanted to give up. But God has loved them with an everlasting love and He will continue to draw them with His loving kindness. Becoming a Christian doesnt mean your life will be free from struggles or that you won’t have to deal with the consequences of your past choices. However, I believe Lonnie and Kelsey would agree, a life with Christ is better than a life without Christ. Please join me in praying for Lonnie, Kelsey, Myles and Lincoln. I truly believe that God is going to use Lonnie and Kelsey to impact the lives of others. Pray that they will stand firm in their faith and they will grow in their knowledge and love of God.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 06:38:12 +0000
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