Diane's Salvation
Yesterday the Lord gave me the privilege of leading our neighbor to the Lord! While it was such a blessing to see Diane receive forgiveness and salvation in Christ and I don't think I'll ever forget it, another very real blessing that I am in danger of forgetting is the Lord's goodness in my own life as I saw Him orchestrate the afternoon to even make this possible. (That may be a run-on sentence, but ask me if I care! It says what I want it to say! Read some of Romans if you want some really good run-ons. :) )
Here is what I specifically saw the Lord do to orchestrate my own Esther moment. "For such a time as this..."
1. We had no evening church service scheduled, so we were all home
2. Matt had preached a message that morning, not primarily on salvation, but on love for others. Diane has been struggling in her life to love her extended family members, as she sees some pretty painful situations play out in the lives of her grandkids. She has been attending church with us for several Sundays, so she was able to hear this message.
3. (and this is perhaps the best one!) Another neighbor of ours, Mohammed, asked if Josh could come over and give him some plumbing advice. Josh left at about 5pm and he took Eden with him, with the understanding that if she was unruly or distracting, he would bring her home and go back to Mohammed's alone. In my mind, I gave that about 10 minutes--tops-- but surprisingly she was a good girl! Josh said later that he almost didn't recognize her, she was so well-behaved. She was patient quiet, didn't get into a bunch of stuff, and let them talk for an hour! This is a miracle, folks.
4. Seth and Noah were outside playing with friends, and even though it was supper time, they showed no signs of being hungry and just kept on playing. Another miracle, especially if you know Seth, whose motto is, "But what can I eat?"
5. I had the house completely to myself, a third miracle, and Diane knocked on my door about 5:15. She was in tears, and kept saying that the sermon that morning had been going through her mind all afternoon. That the pastor had been speaking directly to her. She said, "There may have been other people there, but that message was for me. He was talking to me." Praise the Lord, Diane believed that she was a sinner, that Jesus died to save her from her sins, and she accepted His free gift of salvation! My heart was blessed beyond measure to see that first hand!
I praise the Lord for all of the many ways He saw fit to allow me to be by myself for that whole necessary hour, in what many would call a fluke, but I call a miracle. God did it! He was with me, provided the time, used me to further His kingdom, and He deserves all the praise.
Here is what I specifically saw the Lord do to orchestrate my own Esther moment. "For such a time as this..."
1. We had no evening church service scheduled, so we were all home
2. Matt had preached a message that morning, not primarily on salvation, but on love for others. Diane has been struggling in her life to love her extended family members, as she sees some pretty painful situations play out in the lives of her grandkids. She has been attending church with us for several Sundays, so she was able to hear this message.
3. (and this is perhaps the best one!) Another neighbor of ours, Mohammed, asked if Josh could come over and give him some plumbing advice. Josh left at about 5pm and he took Eden with him, with the understanding that if she was unruly or distracting, he would bring her home and go back to Mohammed's alone. In my mind, I gave that about 10 minutes--tops-- but surprisingly she was a good girl! Josh said later that he almost didn't recognize her, she was so well-behaved. She was patient quiet, didn't get into a bunch of stuff, and let them talk for an hour! This is a miracle, folks.
4. Seth and Noah were outside playing with friends, and even though it was supper time, they showed no signs of being hungry and just kept on playing. Another miracle, especially if you know Seth, whose motto is, "But what can I eat?"
5. I had the house completely to myself, a third miracle, and Diane knocked on my door about 5:15. She was in tears, and kept saying that the sermon that morning had been going through her mind all afternoon. That the pastor had been speaking directly to her. She said, "There may have been other people there, but that message was for me. He was talking to me." Praise the Lord, Diane believed that she was a sinner, that Jesus died to save her from her sins, and she accepted His free gift of salvation! My heart was blessed beyond measure to see that first hand!
I praise the Lord for all of the many ways He saw fit to allow me to be by myself for that whole necessary hour, in what many would call a fluke, but I call a miracle. God did it! He was with me, provided the time, used me to further His kingdom, and He deserves all the praise.
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