~~ Re-Dedication ~~
But life as we had always known it came to an end on the last day of November, 1993. Just prior to this, my wife and I were contemplating divorce. Neither of us had mentioned it, but we both knew it was coming because there was simply very little left of our relationship. Life in ignorance of God's Truth had taken it's toll on two people that were very much in love with all their hearts.
We had been attending church services for about a month when one day the Pastor approached us and asked if we would like to become members. My wife was ok with it, and as far as I was concerned, it was a place where I found a little peace. A place I could be "comfortable". There were no old women trying to drag me to the alter at the end of the service as had happened to me once in my childhood... So I told the Pastor, "Sure. That would be ok with me." He then told us he would come to the house and go over a few of the "rules"... We set up the time (must've been the last day of November).
He and the youth Pastor came up at the appointed time. We were discussing this and that, then he said, "Of course you know you must be born again."
Uh-oh... No one had said anything about that... I had been running from the conviction of The Spirit for quite some time, though I did not know that was what was taking place. Prior to this I had played a few times at the invitation of Buford and Glowie Myers at a Gospel Music Studio. They had invited me to come to church and one day I told him, Don't hold your breath." That had bothered me until one day the wife and I went just to satisfy them. They were so nice and... real. To this day, some 13 years later, I haven't stopped going to church.
Uh-Hum! Back to the story, the Pastor said we had to be born-again... !!! ... Well. The tears started to well up in my eyes and I guess it was evident to the Pastor that I was quite uncomfortable. He said, "That's ok. I didn't mean to pressure you." I looked around, still very uncomfortable. I then said to the pastor, "To be honest, now is when I feel like running." He said, "Good! Let's RUN TO GOD!"
For the next thirty seconds, I did not worry about everything I had to change to be a Christian, I just followed him in the sinners prayer and GOT SAVED! I gave it all to God right then and there. Me AND my wife! There was such a feeling of relief... a feeling of peace... a sense of the knowledge that "somehow", everything was going to be alright! What a feeling! I'll never forget it... Nor will I fully understand why God loved me so much that He would be right there the minute "I" decide to reach for Him after watching me do the things I did before this. I'm still not over it...
And I suppose "Why?" will be the first question I ask Jesus...
posted by Motivated By Grace @ 6/19/2005 12:24:00 PM
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