His Grace at Work Testimony of a Preacher |
I had an aunt named, Rose. A warm plump lady with rosy red cheeks and a smile that never seemed to leave. She was a woman of stories and had a way of capturing my imagination to the wee hours of the night. She would bring out her bible storybooks with pictures and would read them with great presentation. I would be intrigued by the stories of Moses and Abraham and others. I became fascinated with the truth of these stories of God and questioned many things about Him. Shortly there after when I was seven years old my mother took me to a movie called "Greatest Story Ever Told". It was a special moment for a child who was the oldest. My dad many times worked winters logging and would at times be gone for a few weeks. My mom, as a strong woman who knew how to survive the cold winters. It was never easy but she never showed signs of weakness, of course how could she when she had so many children to care for! So a break in her busy life of motherhood was like a major vacation. What made it more incredible was that I was the only child to share this special moment. The theater seemed large and dark as we sat on the hard wooden chairs. I was filled with excitement and a little fearful as I could barely see over the heads of the people in front of me. My mom held my hand as I asked her many questions, about things not too important. I squirmed with anticipation, then suddenly the lights dimmed and the big screen came alive with colors and sounds. I can honestly say I did not always understand the movie as time went by. But what I was retaining was about to change my life. Now for a moment let us remember we are talking about the early sixties. Today when I take my teens to a movie, they are already critics before we sit on the plush seats and environment. They already have all the information on the movie and at times I wonder why we go. Recently I tried to get them to watch this great movie and with smirks said, to them it was boring. It simply could not compete with Spiderman the movie. But as a seven-year-old, who lived miles from town and never seen any movie reviews, it was enthralling. Now it did not take long to get enraptured in the life of this incredible man named Jesus. His warmth, love, compassion and eyes drew my little heart like a father image. Then came sorrow as I watched the injustice. As a child I felt his pain as he bled from the thorns jammed into his head and as they whipped him while he carried the burden of the cross. It felt like eternity, when walked him through the streets of Jerusalem to Goliath. He seemed at times to look directly at me from the movie screen. His eyes filled with sorrow penetrated my emotions and tears gently dripped down my face. As they taunted him and cursed him, I began to get confused and hurt. Then came the cross with all it's horror, as they pounded the nails in his hands and feet. My emotions flooded my soul with grief, as I held my mom close for comfort Then suddenly he died, then darkness came and what seemed to me came into the theater. It took everything in my little body to not weep a loud. Then came the tomb. Where Jesus had risen. I was overwhelmed with joy. He's alive, He's alive! As the movie ended, Jesus seemed to look at me and say, "I am going away for awhile and I would come back. Then he gentle rose and faded into the clouds and it was the end. I did not want him to go, I felt like the kid on Old Yeller, who had just lost his best friend. Suddenly the floodgates opened and my emotions over took me. I cried out loud. My mom was concerned about me as we left the theater. On the long trip home I wept uncontrollably. At home my mom comforted me and tucked me into bed. I eventually cried myself to sleep. Now many may have perceived this experience as to dramatic for a seven year old boy, but for my life it was the first day I real met my Savior and Lord Jesus. The start of a journey and search for the understanding of a man and his incredible love for me. That night I never said a sinner's prayer but something changed inside me, something I could not truly understand. I even felt to take communion in the church where I was sternly told I must go to confession. But from the mouth of a babe I said that I was already forgiven, that I did not need to go to a priest but to Jesus alone. Over the next years as I was growing up I would always pray to Jesus, Just talking to Him as a friend. I had no doctrines or misconceptions, no books to teach me how to pray only a knowing that he would hear me. That he was there for that and me unbeknown to me His grace was working. |
Chapter Three My First Grace Visitation |
Roxy Nolin Copywrite - 2002 |
