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Meet Doug!
Doug is ‘Joe Average Red Neck American’ from Mercer County, OH. Doug is an employee at Kozy Kampground where I was working for an outside contractor for much of the last month. Doug and I became acquainted simply by my attendance at his employer’s facility. After much of a month of watching myself and my counter-parts work, interact, banter and cooperate with one another Doug asks this question to me, ‘What made you turn to the Bible?’.
Now hold on just a minute……where did that come from? And further, isn’t that question wrong in every spiritually imaginable way? I mean, turn to the Bible? Isn’t it Jesus we turn to? And what made me? What about election and divine influence on the individual’s heart and God drawing people to Himself? And then it hits me, ‘Hoblit, don’t blow this one. This guy is asking a genuinely seeking question.’
So what did I do? Easy, I passed Evangelism 101, I walked him down the Romans road complete with a sinners prayer at the end, handed him the decision card to sign and promised to send him Bible study literature! NOT!!! I answered his question; I shared my story; my testimony. Little did I know Doug was raised in a religious sub-culture, had tried all the religious things, found them wanting and empty, had turned to chemicals and depression settled in resulting in attempted suicide. Wait, did I say that was Doug or me? Or both! He was flabbergasted. He never imagined someone as normal as he presumed I was (obviously he didn’t know me well, eh?) could have a life story so similar to his.
So the short version of the long answer I gave his short question was this, ‘Finally I came to a place where I had to prove that either God was real or he wasn’t. I didn’t care which conclusion I came to; I just needed a confirmed conclusion, so the Bible is where I went looking and the rest is history.’
Why do I share it with you? Good question. I suppose simply to remind you (as Sam did the other day) life happens when you’re busy making other plans. Life is happening today, don’t miss it!
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- brother_barabbas
- Eldorado, Ohio, United States
- Who am I? It has nothing to do with who I am! I am the one in whom dwells no good thing. I am as the grass of the field, here one day and ground into flour the next. I am the disciple who Jesus loved! Why, not because of who I am, but because of what HE's done! It has everything to do with what HE's done! He sealed my pardon with His blood! He bought me back from the slave auction, by giving His life. He's done it all! He continually intercedes on my behalf to the Father!
Brains I Pick
2 comments:
What a GREAT story, Aaron. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Talk about a "divine appointment" eh?
God is in control. He is using you in ways that you don't even realize right now. Just enjoy the ride. He will provide just as He is providing for all you need.
I just loved reading your story today. That is so cool how God saw fit to bring you two together like He did.
I really appreciate you, Bro.
Hi, I saw that you had stopped by my xanga site, so I had to check you out. I am encouraged by your story. My husband is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. Thanks to the grace of God he has overcome these things. I never knew him when he was struggling with those demons, but it was a man who shared his story of the Saving grace of Jesus that helped turn his life around. The Bible says that those who are forgiven much love much, and I find it to be true. Thanks for sharing your stories. :)
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