Pastor 1
In a land not so far away. In a time not so long ago. I was given the opportunity to see something I had never expected in my life. But the more I think about the whole event, I have to admit. This is an opportunity we all have been given. It just seems to boil down to another choice we face in our lives. Do we take the steps forward we are given?
It all started when our Pastor called a meeting. He called in the Head Elder, the Head Deacon a few others and me. I felt kind of out of place at such a meeting. And wondered why I was asked to attend. Our Pastor began to explain the situation. He had received a request card forwarded form "It Is Written." The card explained that someone had requested prayer, Bible studies and help to fight an alcohol problem. Our Pastor explained that faced with the opportunity to visit someone with an alcoholic problem at night, common sense made it evident that he should take one of us along. Just for security.
There was a silence on the room for one minute. Then two minutes. No one jumped up to volunteer. I looked around the room at all those present. I could clearly see that each person there had a personal job more important then mine. And their jobs all required a greater demand upon their time. And each one also put more of their free time into the church. Then one after another some of them spoke up. Talking about the opportunity that lie ahead. Well after that was all done the Pastor asked once again for a volunteer. I waited a minute or two, then raised my hand up off the table. Just a few inches. Hoping inside someone, anyone would be more enthusiastic then me. At the time I felt so much less qualified then all of the others.
The Pastor said he would make a phone call, set up a time and let me know when we would meet at the church. Everyone was telling me what a blessing this would be. But I couldn't see a blessing coming. I was just wondering what I had just gotten myself into.
A few days later the Pastor and I met at the church. We went inside to pray. I remember realizing for the first time how reliant some people are on prayer. As the night worn on this point was more and more evident. It seemed as if our Pastor would not take a single step without first praying. I began to see a security in his leadership I had never seen. Until I had spent some time with him. This turned out to be lesson number one I needed learn.
The Pastor seemed to be totally prepared. A map all laid out with the route all traced out. It seemed to be destiny that there was no direct route to the house. There just had to be a series of turns. One turn after another. I always had a great sense of direction. But I felt totally lost after about the fourth turn. And there were about ten more after that. It impressed me how the Pastor had memorized the entire route. I thought to myself, if it were up to me to guide us back out, we would have been lost.
We had just passed a street when the car came to a sudden stop. He put it in reverse and backed up to the street we had just passed. This was the street. We slowly drove down the street. His sense of direction must have given me some type of security. I don't remember having a single worry or concern at the time. We parked in the driveway and prayed. Thanking God for guiding us on a safe journey. And that God would also guide us on what ever awaited us. We then went up to the door. The Pastor knocked on the door. We waited a minute. He knocked again. And we waited another minute. It was a cold December night. The sun had already been down for hours. There was snow on the ground. The entire neighborhood was decorated for the holidays. As I was looking down the street the door opened. A woman greeted us and asked us in.
We took off our coats and took a seat on the couch. A minute later the man we came to see joined us. He came out with a very enthusiastic greeting. What really surprised me was that these people looked perfectly normal. Very friendly. And I sensed they were seeking knowledge. Over the years I have seen that there are many people that are seeking the knowledge we as Seventh Day Adventists take for granted. The Pastor lead out the conversation. He started out with the back ground on the job. Then family life. It didn't take long for the conversation to take a turn to the man's life. He had just become divorced. It was then that the secret came out. He had been using the divorce as an excuse to drink. He blamed his wife for destroying his life. And made the claim that this was the reason his life was in bondage to alcohol.
I had not picked up on this at all. But the Pastor confronted the man and told him he had been drinking before we arrived. The Pastor told him that on the phone he had explained that we would not be studying the Bible while under the influence of alcohol. The man insisted he only had two beers and was perfectly capable of understanding. The Pastor asked him a straight and simple question. Why did he want to study the Bible? Was it for comfort? Was it to be saved? Was it to beat the problem he was facing? The Pastor explained there was no way to beat the problem, unless he really wanted to. So he asked the man, "do you really want to beat this problem? Are you really willing pray and ask the help of Jesus to beat this problem?" The man answered, "yes, yes", with a hint of tears and anguish in his eyes and voice. It was like looking upon someone struggling with a demon inside.
The Pastor told the man of he was really serious. If he really believed that Jesus could free him from this burden the time was now to make a decision. He asked the man if he wanted to be free in Jesus, or a slave to a bottle. The man chose freedom. The Pastor then asked the man if he had any alcohol in the house. The man and the Pastor went into the kitchen. While they were in there I could hear the refrigerator and cabinet doors opening and closing. Then I could hear cans being opened and the contents being emptied. Then bottles being emptied. Then each one being rinsed to remove the smell. The two returned with arms full of empty beer cans and bottles. They piled them all up neatly in the middle of the living room. The two of the then knelt down and prayed.
After the prayer the Pastor opened up his Bible to John 3:16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And read it out load. He then handed the Bible to the man and had him read it. With quivering lips and tears in his eyes the man stumbled over the verse slowly reading it with a deep pause between each word. The man was near to tears. The Pastor had him read it once again. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The second reading brought the man to tears. You could see the battle he was having in his face. The Pastor took the Bible back and read it, "For God so loved Rob, that he gave his only begotten Son, that Rob should not perish, but have everlasting life." The Pastor read it a second time the same way. Then handed the Bible back to Rob and told him to read it the same way. He started out, "For God so loved", there was a long pause. With quivering lips and shacking hands he tried to go on. R, R, R. He started over. For God so loved, R, R, Rob. He laid the Bible down along side of him, leaned forward and with one swing of his arm smashed every can and bottle out of it's place. While still kneeling Rob picked the Bible back up and read it with a new found confidence in his voice. "For God so loved Rob, that he gave his only begotten Son, that Rob should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Without direction he read it a second time. Shouting every word as if he wanted the entire world to hear. Rob then laid the Bible down and began once again to cry. This time I could even pick up on the fact that these were no longer tears of fear or shame, but tears of joy. The Pastor knelt down in front of him hugged him and offered up a prayer thanking Jesus for His presence and his healing power.
The Pastor handed the couple a set of Bible lessons to study for next week. And gave them some advise on how to beat the problem. Handed him a card and told him to call any time he felt tempted. And once again warned him there would be no Bible study if there was alcohol involved. We closed in prayer asking for the power and help of Jesus.
The Pastor and I went out to the car. The Pastor started the car. And once again prayed thanking Jesus personally for His strength and guidance. As we drove back he asked me what I thought. The only thing I could think of saying was I felt like I had just lived through an episode of Star Wars. It was the most dramatic thing I had ever experienced.
Looking back on the whole situation I must admit it brings to mind one text. We must be born again to see the kingdom of God. I didn't do a thing but sit and observe. I had to ask myself many times, was I chosen because I was so unqualified? Or was it because I had admitted I was unqualified? Was it that there are times where we are only needed to just be there? Was this one of those opportunities in life that learning is so much more important then contributing?
As the weeks went on our Pastor and I had opportunities to talk and to share. He told me about the times he was in a position to learn. He told me about how he had felt unqualified and how others had some how seen qualities in him that he could not see in himself. He shared with me little hints on marking the Bible for studies. And most important of all, how to keep your finger in the last spot where you had just read a verse so that you could read your notes on what verse was next. Wow, we prayed a lot. Not a step was taken without first asking for guidance. And not a task was completed without offering thanks. He also taught me how to style my studies based on my own convictions on the subject. He under stood how the Spirit speaks to each one of us.
I guess the encouragement I received from all those others during that meeting was all right on the mark. Now I can see why they had been volunteering all that time. Helping others. They had all been there and seen the things I have just seen. They have all experience the joy of increased faith. Looking back I can't help but feel that it was the hand of God working in my life. Holding out the lessons I needed to learn in my own life. There is no better teacher then experience itself. Jesus knew that. It is in the lessons He taught. In the parables He used. It is in the life and choices He gives to all of us. These lessons are all contained within the design Jesus has for each of our lives.