My Defining Moment

My Defining Moment

When I was 18, I climbed in a 1978 Dodge Omni and headed for Chicago.

To start with, expecting a 1978 Dodge Omni to survive the trip to Chicago is obviously a serious leap of faith.

It would seem logical to assume that a drive from Spokane to Chicago would be a I-90 straight shot, point A to point B kind of experience.  But no, as is often in my life, I am required to make a few trips around the "round-a-bout" before heading off to my destination.

So my "short cut" to Chicago required a stop in John Day Oregon.  I spent the night at a wonderful pastors house.  I remember he and his wife showed me to the room where I would be spending the night and then I didn't see them again till breakfast.  As I was leaving I noticed that they gave me their master bedroom, while they slept out in a small camp trailer.  To this day, that memory humbles me.

Then I pushed on  to Denver.

In Denver I spent the weekend at the home of a church elder.  He was kind and gracious -- treating me like family.  Finally Sunday rolled around and I attended church with his family.  I remember it was a very large church -- larger than anything I had ever witnessed.

I recalled a great evangelist of the last century commented as he passed through a huge church sanctuary, "You could stack a lot of hay in here."

At the end of the service, the pastor called me forward to the pulpit, and with tears in his eyes, put his hands on my head and prayed a prayer of blessing on me and the ministry God had in store for me.

I was a little uncomfortable by this experience -- that it was a defining moment -- and that it was filled with power, I had no doubt -- but it was uncomfortable nonetheless.

The kind elderly pastor leaned close to me and simply advised me to never look back and never doubt God.

It was in that moment, in my heart of hearts, I had no doubt that God was going to use my life for His purposes.

With a few thoughtful words, the course of my life was established.

My thought for you is:
"Who has God brought into your life -- that He wants you to impact?"

Think about this -- I am sure there is a painful experience from your past, where someone said or did something very hurtful that still impacts you to this day.  The fact you still remember it -- highlights it.

What is odd, I can remember my 2nd grade school teacher putting me back into a remedial reading class.  To this day I remember her comments about my reading abilities (or lack of).

Our memories and subconscious are not obstructed by time -- so those long ago memories -- still impact us.

My point is this, is there someone in your life right now that you can impact in a positive way --  with a word of encouragement, a helping hand, a hug of compassion?

I am 100% sure that the elderly pastor never gave me a second thought.

6 months after his prayer over me, he couldn't have picked me out of a police lineup.

However, 32 years ago, I remember the man and his prayer clearly, like it was last night.

There IS someone in your life that God wants you to encourage, in the same kinda way that elderly pastor encouraged me.

What are you going to do with that God given opportunity?

"For we are God’s masterpiece.
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,
so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."
Ephesians 2:10 NLT