32 years (and counting)

As you can tell from previous posts this month, August is a month with a lot of memorable moments and special days in our family. For me personally, this past weekend brought another of those days. It was on August 22, 1976 that I became a Christian. I was in Children's Church that morinng, and James Dawson, our associate pastor (who was essentially my children's pastor - even though he didn't have that title) shared the Gospel message and extended an opportunity to respond. God spoke to me about my need of a personal Savior, and I responded. I committed my life to Jesus that morning as my Savior and Lord at Terrace Hills Baptist Church in Longview, Texas, and He gave me eternal life. WOW! 32 years ago. I was an eight year old boy getting ready to start the 3rd Grade. Ironically, my son Brandon (who became a Christian this summer along with his brother Bradley) is eight years old and started the 3rd Grade to me. Some days the 3rd Grade seems like an eternity ago. Other times, it seems just like yesterday. We stopped by the church Friday evening on the way home from a day full of activities. I went to my office and found the old, worn out, wrinkled, weathered, well-used Bible that my mom and dad gave me two Christmases after I became a Christian. There are lots of notes in that old Bible. Lots of memories, too. In the back, written with eight year old cursive penmanship, are the dates of my salvation and baptism. Memories. The greatest memory. The most important decision. Eternal life. I'm thankful it is eternal. As I think back over all the years of being a Christian, I see God's faithfulness. In good times and bad times He's been faithful. On the mountain top and in the valleys, He's been there - working (on me). In the light when I could see clearly and in the darkness when I couldn't see at all, His gentle, guiding hand has led me. Through teenage car-wrecks, the divorce of my parents, college & seminary, the joys and perils of dating, marriage, the pursuit of having children, the death of two children, the adoption of four children, being a youth and children's pastor, being a husband, being a daddy and through many other circumstances and situations, one thing has remained constant - God, my Father, has been with me. His presence never leaves those who belong to Him. All this reminds me of two Scripture passages. Psalm 73:27 "But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Thy works." The second is Romans 8:35, 37-39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Now it has all come full circle. My boys are now a part of the family of God. These promises that are mine are now theirs, too. And 32 years down the road when I'm a proud 72 year old grandfather and they're 40 and 39 year old parents (I can't believe I'm saying that :) respectively, God's promises regarding eternal life will remain constant and unchanging - just like Him. posted by John