I saw him in church only once. He attended that weekend with his wife who was a member of our congregation. All I remembered about him was that he was young and handsome, and maybe a bit arrogant. I learned later that while he was working on a roof, a wind gust caused him to lose balance and he fell to the ground. After recovering from serious injuries, he was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
His wife told me he wanted nothing to do with God or the church, so I didn’t see him again until one God-ordained afternoon. While driving through our little town, my attention was drawn to a man struggling to get out of his car and into a wheelchair. I recognized him as the husband of our church member who had been critically injured some time back. I glanced at the building he was parked in front of and saw the words, “Counseling Center.”
I know the Holy Spirit led me to pull into the parking lot and park next to his car. I didn’t have time to plan what I was going to say. All I knew was that I just needed to be there. I got out of the car and introduced myself and asked him how he was doing. With his head down he responded to my greeting, but I’ll never forget the look of sadness on his face.
In that brief encounter he opened up and shared that his marriage was in trouble, and that he felt his life no longer had meaning or purpose. He looked towards the building and said he was going in for more counseling, hoping to find some answers to his hopeless life.
I was a little surprised by the words that sprang out of my mouth. I knew this was a one-time opportunity and the Holy Spirit prompted me to say, “If you will allow me just ten minutes, I can explain how you can put your life back together this very day. I promise you, it will do more for you than any counseling session that you could ever attend.”
I am a believer in miracles, but I have to admit that I was a bit surprised by his response. Without hesitation he maneuvered his way back into his car. “Follow me,” he said, and he soon headed out of the parking lot, with me close behind.
Soon we pulled into the driveway of his home and once inside the house, I pulled a chair in front of him and shared my conversion story. I told how I had felt the same way he did some years back, and how there was a hole in my soul that nothing could fill. I explained how I decided to give Jesus a try at running my life, and what that decision had done for me and my family.
The tears flowed when I asked him if there was any reason he shouldn’t give his life over to Jesus right then and let Him work out all the troubled issues he was facing. I believe all heaven rejoiced with me when he said “yes” to Jesus that day. The Bible says there is great joy in heaven when even one sinner repents.
We prayed together, and one of God’s children came to the foot of the cross and found a new life. Everything changed in the man’s home from that day on. I later had the joy of baptizing this new child of God, and all the church rejoiced—especially his family. The last I heard, he became a leader in his church and joined his wife in a successful business venture.
Jesus is always the answer, but people need to know. And how can they know unless someone tells them? Is there someone you know who feels hopeless and has no place to turn? Your simple story of faith in Jesus and what He has done for you is all God needs to change someone’s life. You can do it!
—Written by Dave Snyder