Looking Back (standard:Inspirational stories, 3806 words)
Author: Ester	Added: Mar 24 2003	Views/Reads: 3270/2182	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
On her first anniversary, a young lady looks back at how it all began.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

and good.   This was no kool-aid and packaged cookie fare.  We were 
greeted by several teens and gathered into a group where we talked and 
snacked as they listened to the music.  After about an hour, the band 
took a break and the youth director came to the microphone.  After 
welcoming everyone, especially the new faces, he introduced a young man 
who looked to be about 21.   Wow!  Cool music, good food, friendly 
people and a hunk of a guy to look at. . . not a bad night for a church 
meeting! ~  ~  ~  ~  ~ My name is DJ.  A couple years ago I was 
involved in a hard rock band that came close to achieving professional 
status.  I was raised by good Christian parents who weren't happy with 
my choice of music and lifestyle.  Though I still followed many of my 
folks' guidelines at home, I felt it was my life to live as I wanted.  
I did too, until a car wreck after a practice session killed two of our 
group and injured the other four, two seriously.  I came through with 
only a broken leg, broken arm and a concussion.  The band was gone.  
The accident had not been our fault, but if we hadn't been drinking and 
so tired from being up so late, we may have been able to avoid the 
truck that hit us.  No one had noticed the truck coming in their 
direction across the grass median. 

While in the hospital, I heard Mom praying when she thought I was
asleep.  The concussion made me sleep a lot for a few days.  For some 
reason, Mom prayed aloud, almost always.  Maybe she thought it meant 
that God would hear her better or something.  Anyway, I heard her thank 
God for sparing my life, to let me recognize God's hand on our family, 
to save me if I wasn't saved and to return me to the fold if I was 
backslidden.  She also prayed for the families of the boys who had died 
and those injured.  I believe she and Dad had spoken with all of them 
that week. 

I never took God that serious, but I knew my folks did.  I guess I just
rode on their spiritual coat tails.  Hearing Mom's specific prayer to 
God to let this bring me into a right standing before Him, gave me a 
jolt.  My folks had never dallied with discipline of right and wrong.  
You were where you were supposed to be or you weren't.  You were right 
or you were wrong.  As a child in their home, they clearly drew the 
lines and punished quickly when I strayed.  They didn't just put me in 
time-out either.  Up until I left for college certain actions would 
gain me a position over Dad's desk or Mom's bed for an application of 
the ‘board of education to the seat of learning'.  Being too old for 
corporal punishment was not considered.  As long as I was under their 
roof, I was under their rules and consequences.  They weren't happy 
with the college I chose, but it did have an excellent business 
program, so they consented.  I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I 
figured I needed good business skills no matter what I did. 

My second semester at college I hooked up with a group wanting to start
a band.  My guitar skills were rusty, but my voice was acceptable, so I 
joined in.  We had a lot of fun jamming that semester.  We learned to 
play together, too, after our practice secessions.  It became a habit 
to practice a few hours and then find a club to have fun for a couple 
hours.  Drinking had never been allowed at home, but I took to it 
quickly.  We wouldn't cross the line to drugs, though. 

We all stayed for summer school and continued to develop a program.  By
Fall, we had a couple gigs for the returning students.  From there we 
were on our way, locally anyway.  With all the practicing, fun times, 
and gigs, it was hard to find time for studies.  All of us decided to 
drop out after first semester and give our music a chance.  Being able 
to accept performances further away brought us greater fame.  In six 
months we had every weekend booked for months. 

Just before Christmas, the accident happened.  As I said, we weren't bad
guys, or even very wild guys.  We just loved to play and sing and have 
a good time.  We were good and were enjoying the fruits of our labors.  
Our spare time was spent looking for and learning new music, keeping 
our van running, and reassuring our parents that we were ok.  If we had 
wanted to go to church, we couldn't have.  Saturday night we performed 
until 1 or2 am.  It was 3 or 4 before we got to bed.  By the time we 
woke up it was after noon and time to head home.  It wasn't rejected; 
there just wasn't any room for it. 

Now, these very close friends had been forced to acknowledge that there
may be something more to consider than just music and fun.  Two of us 
were dead.  Where were they?  I don't know if they used to go to church 
at home or not.  Two of us were seriously injured.  Would they make it? 
 Two of us were injured, but not life threatening.  No doubt we were 
all having new thoughts right now. 

I knew the Bible, what God said about salvation, the daily life and the
responsibilities.  These were easy to forget when I was so busy, but I 
wasn't so busy now.  I had lots of time to think.  If I hadn't had 
these thoughts before, my mom's prayers would have brought them.  But I 
had.   Then, the next evening, Dad prayed over me before he and Mom 
left the hospital.  I was out of danger so they went to the motel to 
sleep.  Dad's prayer mirrored Mom's, though his was not quite so soft.  
He asked God to wake me up spiritually, see my discipline, and get me 
on the right track whatever it took.  Wow!  Easy Dad!  Haven't I been 
through enough?  He wasn't sure, I guess. 

In a week I was back home.  With my arm broken I couldn't use crutches
to get around on my good leg, so I used a wheel chair when I went out.  
The first place I went out to was a Christmas play put on by this 
church at the community center.  My parents were part of the extras in 
the play. 

My folks had had several talks with me about my life the past year and
about my spiritual life, sometimes gentle, serious talks and sometimes 
stern talks, but always with love.  Whatever I did, I knew I would 
always be loved.   Something in the play that night finally penetrated 
the wall of indifference I had allowed to build in my life.  By the end 
of the play I had tears in my eyes.  Of course, I brushed them away 
quickly.  On the way home I was very quiet.  As we went inside I asked 
Mom and Dad to come to my room and talk after I was in bed.  They sat 
on the bed, Mom on one side and Dad on the other, each holding a hand.  
The tears began to fall unexpectedly.  When I finally was able to talk, 
I told them that I had never been saved, that I had just ‘played 
church' as a teen.  I may have thought I was saved because I don't 
remember feelings of rebellion.  But, I knew now that I had never 
personally asked Jesus Christ to forgive me of my sin, accepted his 
offering of Himself as my sacrifice for sin, and to come into my heart 
and live with me every day.  I had never done that, but I wanted Mom 
and Dad to help me to do it now.  As Mom cried and prayed, Dad gave me 
the familiar scriptures.  He prayed and then I prayed and accepted 
Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. 

Even as a new Christian, you look at everything in a very different way
than a lost person does.  You look at things from His point of view.  I 
took a new look at my life and did not like what I saw.  Not only was I 
different on the inside, things on the outside would need changing too. 
 A haircut and a few new clothes were first on the list.  That is, 
after I got out of the wheelchair.  I had lots of thinking time and 
made lists of physical and spiritual things to work on or change.  It 
wasn't all easy, nor did it all change overnight.  I was saved 
immediately, but my mind and flesh moved much more slowly than my 
spirit!  There were slip-ups and a few times I just fell on my face in 
my efforts.  I got back up and began again, refusing to let up.  
Sometimes my parents would pick up on an attitude or action that needed 
to be put under God's microscope.  It wasn't so bad when I saw 
something I needed to work on, but having others point out negative 
things in my life, struck a note of pride that made me defensive.  My 
folks were quick to point that out when it happened as well.  They 
weren't quite so gentle in their rebuke at those times.  I often felt 
more like a little disobedient boy, than a 20 year old.  I didn't 
always like their help at the time, but now I'm so glad they gave it. 

By the time summer came, I was pretty well back to normal physically.  I
volunteered to be a counselor at camp for our juniors.  It was a joy 
and a challenge.  Some of those kids were way ahead of me spiritually.  
I mean, they were already serious about Jesus and they were 10-12 years 
younger than me.  Others were there just for the fun times.  A couple 
of them I suspected were playing at being Christians, just as I had at 
their age. 

In the fall I decided to continue my business major, but at a local
Christian college.  I have been there two semesters now.  I still don't 
know for sure what I will do when I get out of college, but God will 
let me know when I need to know.  Right now I will continue doing what 
I should be doing here and now. 

Where do you stand with God?  Have you ever admitted that you need Him
and the salvation He has provided?  God is real.  He loves you enough 
to let His Son die on the cross for you, but He also will not tolerate 
sin in His presence.  If I had died in that crash, I would be in Hell.  
If I were to die today, I would go to Heaven.  Do you know where you 
would be one minute after your death?  Make sure tonight.  Don't wait 
until something tragic happens in your life to get your attention like 
I did.  I got a second chance, but my two friends who died didn't.  
Tonight begin a life that will bring peace to you and glory to Him. 
Thank you for listening.   If you would like to talk to someone 
tonight, the leaders and I would love to talk to you and help you as my 
parents did me.  Please come. 

~  ~  ~  ~  ~ 

“I have never heard anything like this in my life,” Bonnie thought.  She
didn't dare look at her friends.  The music began to play again, but 
softly at first.  We stayed for about 45 minutes more and.  In parting 
we agreed that it had been a very interesting evening and we were glad 
we had gone. 

I couldn't get DJ's testimony out of my mind, especially his question
about where would I be immediately after death.  I had no idea.  The 
feeling felt familiar and I remembered that I had some of the same 
thoughts after the Christmas play I had gone to.  Hey, I bet that was 
the same play the speaker was talking about.  I remembered seeing a guy 
in a wheelchair there.  Interesting!  Anyway, my church didn't talk 
about death much, just how to enjoy life. 

I could hardly wait to see David and ask some questions on Monday.  If,
that is, I saw him and had the nerve to ask my questions.  I had held 
him so high for so long, I didn't know if I could ask my questions and 
show my ignorance.  I could only hope that he would be as kind then as 
he had always been. 

Monday came.  I entered the break room to put my things in my locker and
in came David with his lunch.  I couldn't believe my luck; usually the 
room was full at this time of day.  I was early so I took the 
opportunity, with fear and trembling.  As I asked if he would answer 
some questions for me about the other night, his eyes lit up with 
pleasure, as if I could not have pleased him any better.  He simply and 
carefully answered all my questions.  When I finally had no more 
questions he then asked if I would like to ask Jesus to come into my 
heart.  I said yes.  He prayed and then helped me with my prayer, 
making sure I understood.  Tears were on my face when I looked up, 
tears of joy and peace like I had never known.  He smiled and invited 
me to come to his church Wednesday night and Sunday.  He would meet me 
outside and take me to meet his pastor.  Later in the day he brought me 
a small box.  In it was a small, leather bound New Testament with my 
first name engraved on it.  David encouraged me to start reading the 
Bible right away and suggested the Book of John and showed me that he 
had marked it for me.  He said he always gave a New Testament to people 
he led to the Lord.  Well, I was obviously not the first!  He did this 
regularly on his own! 

Immediately I began to attend David's church and grew rapidly in the
Lord.  It sure was a brand new way of life and thinking, but I was 
happier than I had ever been.  Even my parents noticed my joy.  
Eventually they attended with me and were saved.  David and I began 
‘hanging out' together a lot at church activities, at his house or mine 
and sometimes at work.  After about six months, he asked me out.  On 
graduation night, he proposed. 

Oh, we had the normal ups and downs that any dating couple has, but
David insisted we never go more than a week without sitting down and 
clearing the air of any differences we had.  We didn't always end up 
agreeing, but learned to ‘agree to disagree' at times.   Sometimes, 
though, David would insist that we go to an older Christian if we 
couldn't settle an issue.  Letting it slide was not an option with him. 
 This practice continued after we were married, except that we tried to 
do it nightly.  David recited the verse telling us not to let the sun 
go down on our wrath.  I said that I wasn't always wrathful, just 
miffed.  That didn't set well with him and the blood hound in him would 
be on the phone for counsel.  My dad hadn't been a Christian very long, 
but had jumped into the Christian life with both feet moving.  He was 
often one who was called for counsel as well as his own dad. 

David learned that I had a stubborn streak.  It didn't come out very
often, but when it did, it took up residence.  It usually took a 
terrible scolding from David, followed by stern counsel from one of our 
dads or the pastor to bring me out.  Once, Dad threatened to treat my 
childish attitude with actions due a child.  I had been over his knee 
enough as a child to understand his meaning.  While I didn't really 
believe he would carry out the threat, childhood training wouldn't 
permit me to chance it.  I straightened up.  It sometimes irritated me 
that David insisted that we keep things clear and open, but then we 
never had the terrible fights that some of our friends had, so maybe it 
was good after all. 

David didn't seem to have a serious problem.  He said that he had gone
through a terrible rebellious streak in junior high lasting a couple of 
years.  It took a lot of love, discipline, patience and prayers from 
his parents, pastor and Sunday School teachers, but by the time he 
entered high school, the worst of his bad attitudes were gone.  When he 
finally surrendered his will to the Lord, he did it as he does 
everything, with all of his heart.  The peace that surrender gave him 
was the difference that I saw in him years ago during high school. 

We have lots of fun together.  It doesn't have to be doing something big
either.  We love Scrabble, horseshoes, walks, visits with the seniors 
of the church and working on our Bible study questions together.  We 
have grown in our love for each other and in our love for the Lord as 
we have traveled this year of life together. 

Sometimes I feel like Cinderella.  I was allowed to marry one I thought
was beyond my reach.  Thank you, Lord.  Thank you! 

THE  END 

12-02 


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