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friend's encounter: a true story
By Dani Rhine - September 2001
About five months ago I started working at Red Lobster. I met a
lot of people there but as with anywhere, there was one girl who
stood out. She had been working there for a few months. We started
talking more and began hanging out. I remember one night, not too
long ago, we went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant. We talked
a lot that night and most of it was about religion. She told me
her views on God and religion and I listened to her express how
she was confused on what to believe. She said that there was probably
something or something's out there that were bigger but she didn't
know what exactly that was. She told me that she had a lot of questions
she wanted to have answered before she really committed to calling
herself one religion or another. I shared with her a little about
what I believe and how that led me to move down here to assist in
starting the Church at Matthew's House.
Time passed on and so did other conversations on religion until
she began to tell me that she wanted to go to Matthew's House with
me. She said that something was missing in her life. How right she
proved herself to be. We went to the Thursday night House Church
at Rick and Wendy's house. Right from the start she commented on
how comfortable it all felt. She leaned over to me during dinner
more than once and said, ĄThis is good! She was excited to be there
and it showed.
We began to share our high points and our low points of the past
week and when her turn came around she said that her high point
was being there that night. Wow! She went on to say that this was
the first place she had ever been to where she didn't feel judged.
She expressed how she had always been surrounded by people who didn't
seem like they truly cared for her and that she could see that we
did.
A little bit later we began to pray. Without any prompting or any
requirement, she began to pray. She thanked God for letting her
come to that place on that night, and for everyone there. She then
told God that she knew something was missing in her life and that
it seemed like this was it. She told God that she was not used to
all of this but that she wanted to get to know Him better.
A girl who a few months ago didn't know what to believe, or how
to believe, was asking for Jesus to come into her life. Afterward,
she told me that everything she said in her prayer was true. She
did want to get to know God better and she wanted me to help her!
A few weeks have gone by and she is even more pumped for God. She
is always asking questions and searching for answers. She tells
me that she wants to do what is right, but it is hard. She says
that it won't come all at once but she's trying. All I can say is
that God wants her wherever she is and He knows her heart. She is
seeking out God's will for her life and she is joyful! She told
me the other day in a card that she thanks God for me and for taking
her to Ąchurch. But she said that most of all she thanks me for
caring for her. I am so grateful to God that He brought her into
my life and allowed me to care about her. It is exciting to see
her start her relationship with Jesus and to see all the great things
that are waiting for her as she keeps looking toward God. |
