You never know who will step into your life and leave permanent impressions. Long term impact often happens in the briefest period of time. Some would call it coincidence, while I am fully convinced that it is divine providence. It will happen to each of you as you walk through life; in fact, I know it is happening now, you just might not be fully aware of what God is up to, nor possibly willing to admit that he is involved at all.
I could make a long list of people that have left deep furrows in my heart and mind over the years. But, there is a particular group of three men that I would like to reminisce about for a few minutes. You will be able find there names in phone books but not history books. Terrel McBee, Jerry Peacock and Melvin Park left giant size impressions on me. At a time when I was alone, out of my element and attempting to get a grip on new life in Christ, these men, who had absolutely nothing in common with me made a choice to come alongside of me and befriend me, mentor me and love me.
Terrel is a tall, thin man who is as strong as a oak tree. Jerry is an outdoors man, an adventurer full of emotion and compassion. Melvin was the sage of the three. He would inject into every conversation tidbits of God's wisdom in down to earth language.
When I came into relationship with these three men we had nothing in common, at least nothing of this world. I had just come to faith in Christ in January of 1981. The circumstances of my conversion will have to be saved for another time, but suffice it to say that God chose these men to impact me and show me acceptance, when most Christians would have stayed in the background to see if my salvation "stuck". As you know I didn't come into the Christian life nice, pretty and cleaned up. My life was a mess and it was written all over me. I looked rough, mean and like an outcast, which is what I wanted at that time. Paul's words in Rom 5:20, "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" take me back to those early days when Christ was so new to me. These three men, who were typical cowboy types "took me under their wing" and without reservation began to share their lives with me.
Each of these men had their own challenges with family, jobs and all that made their lives function, and as I observed them, they faced each challenge in faith and strength. As our relationship developed each of them in their own way challenged me by telling me when I was wrong, challenging "wrongheadedness" (attitudes) and my own tendency to be judgemental. They were not slow to take the Bible in hand in let the words "in red" do there work too.
Had it not been for God's grace and these three men I am quite sure I would have turned back to my old life. I owe them a huge debt of gratitude for what they invested in me.
Ravi Zacharias' book, The Grand Weaver unfolds how God is always at work, maybe not notably, but definitely in the background of each life. Purposefully bringing things to pass in order to touch a life. God whether you realize it, recognize it or even want to acknowledge it, is at work in you life, even in the shadows. He will use people to write on the pages of your heart. He will use circumstance to direct your heart. Terrel, Jerry and Melvin were woven into the tapestry of my life, and in the lives of hundreds of others.
Caleb and Lacy... look around you and see who God has in the shadows. Look around you and see who is writing on the pages of your heart right now and lastly, ask yourself who are you impacting too. And what kind of influence are you having.
Love,
Dad
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