Thanks to the blonde from Toledo

I took today off so I could run errands, and not have it eat into my packing time. But I slept in, and wound up running behind. I didn't hop into the shower until 10 am. I turned on the radio (tuned to Family Life Radio) and listened to a sermon that Dr. Charles Stanley was giving as a part of his In Touch program.
I normally don't hear his program because the radio in my office doesn't get a good signal for Family Life Radio. His sermon was on "the Circle of Our Impact." He spoke about how we do not know whose life we will effect. We do not know where the ripples we cause by dropping a pebble into the pond will go. He spoke about people who influenced some of the great evangelists of our time, and how we need to fulfill what God has in store for us, not what we think we should be doing. Stephen's cries to God while being stoned influenced Saul of Tarsus. Dwight Moody was led to Christ by Edwin Kimball. Dr. Stanley said we will not know the impact we had until we get to the other side.

I have a person in my life who helped to lead me back to Christ who does not know who I am, and has no idea what they did.

A few years ago, I attended a football coaching clinic in Toledo. At that time, I was attending church CEO (Christmas & Easter Only). At coaching clinics, a variety of vendors set up booths to provide samples and catalogs for coaches to take back to their schools. While at the clinic, I spoke with a very attractive, blonde young lady from the University of Toledo staffing a booth providing information on the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. We talked for awhile and she gave me a copy of the New Testament and encouraged me to read it. She said in there, I would find the strength and guidance I was seeking. I didn't even realize that I was looking for something. I took the opportunity to thumb through the book. Between sessions, I found I couldn’t put it down. When I came home, I couldn’t put it down. The Sunday I came home from the clinic, I attended worship at St. John. Since then, I have regularly attended worship services.

Thanks to that young lady from Toledo who gave that first initial nudge to get the ball rolling. Whoever, wherever she is, I'm sure she has no idea how she affected my life. Her ripple has made major waves in my life. I pray I can provide a positive ripple for others.

Thanks be to God for allowing me to lie around and hear a message I needed to hear.

Comments

David said…
A good book that goes along these lines is "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom. Check it out.

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