Well, this is it — my story meets God’s story. Or perhaps better said my story finally caught up with God’s story! The more I have thought about all God did in the weeks, months — and years, even? — to make possible the moment I found myself in a Taco Bell in Cutler Ridge, Florida, the more humbled I get.
This is the moment that changed my entire existence forever. My life would never be the same after the 20-25 minutes I spent there that day. Did I perceive it? No. Was I full of anticipation over the new horizon that was emerging in my not-too-distant future? No — because I had no idea what was coming!
So many questions answered. So many new people introduced into my life. Tawnya. Her parents. The guy with the big hat outside the church. All the friendly people inside. I wish I could remember their names, but I definitely remember feeling welcomed.
It’s worth repeating in writing, what I said in the episode: At any point along the way I could have stopped and said, “No” to God. And, probably because I was living it at the time, I didn’t appreciate then like I do now all moving parts God had going for me to become a Christ-follower.
I wasn’t forced or coerced. With every decision I made, God was moving to make it easier to say “yes.” I wasn’t told, “You either do this, or you’re lost forever!” I can say without a doubt those couple of months I found myself dating a young Christian woman, spending many hours with her family and sitting in that beautiful little church learning so many details about the Bible was exactly what I needed at that season of my life. And God knew it.
And as the years have gone on and now are in my past, I grow in appreciation for God doing the work he does in, around and through people willing to be in the right place at the right time for other people searching for him.
I give him fully credit and glory for doing what I could never have done myself.
Once again, here is the Facebook Commentary on Revelation 12 by Jon Paulien, PhD. – this a collected set of notes in PDF format with other chapters he’s worked on linked here at his website.
Meanwhile, please share below so others can see parts of your story, and maybe we can talk on the podcast!