My Christian life can be divided up into categories. I believe this is true for most people. Mine is pretty intuitive, college, post-college/pre-marriage, marriage/CHILDREN. Yours may not be so neat and tidy,but just because mine are doesn't mean there aren't some untidy sub-categories. Just saying. I put the children in caps because I'm yelling. Just kidding. No, because having children is a spiritual game-changer. Everything you do up to then really affects nobody. Not in the way what you do affects your children. For us havers-of-children nothing on earth is more important. Can I get an "Amen"? More on this in another blog.
So this morning I'm thinking of who did God put into my life in each of these categories that had that person not been there, things would not be the same. In college, it would be my good friend Wayne and my Campus Crusade discipler Leslie Gregory. Both put a college size beat down on my worldly man that kept making an appearance right after I switched sides (that's "became a believer" for all you who don't talk street.) They changed my life and I'm grateful God put them in my life.
Post college would be Tom Tracy. And my Bible teacher, Chuck Carter. Tom had the guts to tell me hard things. He made me mad for 3 days. 3 DAYS! And he was right. My ego needed to hear what he told me. I would not be the same today if he did not rebuke me then. May God put into every persons life at least once, a Tom Tracy. May I be a Tom Tracy to someone. Chuck was so gifted at teaching that people would fall over in the Spirit when he would read the "begats" in Leviticus. He transformed how I read and interpret the Bible.
Post-marriage I would have to say my wife. And it's only partially because it's in my wedding vows that I have to. I think most men's wives would make this list. Stacy complements me perfectly and like Tom is not afraid to tell me the things I hate to hear, but need to hear. And I adore her for it (at least after I'm finished being mad.)
So, who is your Leslie, your Tom, your Paul? And when, if ever, was the last time you siad "Thanks". I'm very interested in knowing who has God put in your life that made it richer, better, that changed it. Lastly, who's life are WE changing? 2 Peter 2:22.
Glad you "switched sides." I'm so street.
ReplyDeletePre-college: Mom, and she is still regularly in my face, in a good way.
College: My now best friend, Shannon. We are only so close now because of how in each other's faces we were in college. She dragged my sorry backside out of bed at midnight because I needed some prayer time, and sat outside with me for two hours while it happened.
Post-College/ Marriage: Got married right out of college. Ben, of course, for the same reasons as Stacy for you. The second would be the youth kids. They are constantly challenging me in ways that make it imperative that I have solid, deep, and genuine roots to my faith.