We were meeting back in the big, red brick church building down the street from the post office after the lightning strike and fire that almost destroyed it.
“Hey, let’s walk down the hallway and get to church what way,” said a friend one Sunday night after training union as we walked out of our room.
“Are you crazy?” said another. “I wouldn’t walk down that hallway right now for anything! Can’t you see those boards up there?” she said, pointing to the beams that were hanging... from the cindered ceiling. “One of them might fall on me and kill me! You can walk through there if you want to but not me!”
“Hey, let’s walk down the hallway and get to church what way,” said a friend one Sunday night after training union as we walked out of our room.
“Are you crazy?” said another. “I wouldn’t walk down that hallway right now for anything! Can’t you see those boards up there?” she said, pointing to the beams that were hanging... from the cindered ceiling. “One of them might fall on me and kill me! You can walk through there if you want to but not me!”
Hearing my friend’s conversation brought about a sudden realization that she was right; if one of those boards fell on my head, it might kill me. And, for the first time in my almost 10 years, I realized that should I die, I would go straight to hell. Oh, I had heard about being saved and I knew Jesus died on the cross for our sins. But, for the first time that realization became personal. I knew that I was a sinner ‘cause I had been taught that we are born into this world a sinner and it didn’t matter if the sins we committed were just a little white lie or if we killed someone, to God it was all the same; it was a sin.
I could hardly wait for the closing prayer because I knew what I wanted to do; what I had to do. When the invitation began, I looked up at my mother and said, “I’m going, are you going with me?” I didn’t wait for her answer, I just stepped out and walked the few steps to the front and told Dr. E.P.J. Garrett, our visiting evangelist, who had preached that night about the cross, that I wanted Jesus to come into my heart. And, He did and He still lives there today.
Tragedy may be the very thing that God uses to get our attention and bring us to repentance. The tragedy of our church being struck by lightning was the very thing that brought my attention to my need of a Savior. Would I have received Jesus into my heart later if not that night? I don’t know. But, I do know that there are good things that can come out of a bad situation. Sometimes God allows tragedy of a church fire to teach us lessons we would never learn any other way.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
I could hardly wait for the closing prayer because I knew what I wanted to do; what I had to do. When the invitation began, I looked up at my mother and said, “I’m going, are you going with me?” I didn’t wait for her answer, I just stepped out and walked the few steps to the front and told Dr. E.P.J. Garrett, our visiting evangelist, who had preached that night about the cross, that I wanted Jesus to come into my heart. And, He did and He still lives there today.
Tragedy may be the very thing that God uses to get our attention and bring us to repentance. The tragedy of our church being struck by lightning was the very thing that brought my attention to my need of a Savior. Would I have received Jesus into my heart later if not that night? I don’t know. But, I do know that there are good things that can come out of a bad situation. Sometimes God allows tragedy of a church fire to teach us lessons we would never learn any other way.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
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