Turning Point

As a few of you already know, I got some bad news this week. While reading the obituaries in my hometown paper (online), I saw the name of someone very familiar to me... though it was someone whom I hadn’t seen in many, many years. Back in my wandering days, when I was out in the world, living a life very displeasing to the Lord, there was a group of people I spent a great deal of time with... drinking, partying together. The man whose obituary I read was one of those people.

In fact, I had a particular fondness for him back then, because right after I first met him, he "saved me" from getting caught by the police, drinking in a bar (yes, I was under-age). When he saw them coming in, he quickly grabbed the beer from my hand and took it for his own. To my knowledge, they never suspected that I had been drinking. That act of kindness was always remembered, because I’ve known others who actually were caught later on, and the authorities didn’t go too easy on them. I was always grateful I had been spared that trouble with the law.

But anyway, my first response upon reading his obituary was, "Oh my, I hope he got saved since I last saw him." I reasoned that in 20 years or so, it is possible, after all. Oh, how I hoped that was the case!

I was curious as to how he had died, since there was no mention of an illness or anything. I looked through the previous few days’ articles, and saw nothing about an accident that claimed a life. I couldn’t shake my curiosity, so I then did a search with his name. To my horror, I found three articles which detailed the circumstances behind his death. He had been drinking with a friend on Monday night (at the friend’s house), and they got into an argument. That friend then shot him in the head, which killed him instantly.

I can’t tell you the thoughts that ran through my head upon reading this awful news. The hope that he had gotten saved and turned his life around suddenly died, as if right along with him. Then the guilt set in.

I began thinking of all the opportunities I had, to share the good news of Jesus Christ with him... but didn’t. I began to recall all the means I had available to contact him in the years since, even if it wasn’t face-to-face. I could have written, I could have called. I could have found SOME WAY to let him know about the change that Jesus had made in my life, and about how Jesus wanted to do the same thing in his life, as well. I should have shared Jesus with him. But instead, I kept Him all to myself. And because of that, I felt my friend’s blood was on my hands.

Thankfully, God has placed some pretty wonderful people in my life, who give me Godly wisdom, and remind me of what Scripture says, when I need it. One special friend, in particular, reminded me that God doesn’t give someone "just one chance" at salvation, and that if one person doesn’t share with them, He will send someone else to fulfill His purpose. But even so, ultimately, it’s up to the hearer as to whether or not he/she receives it.

I had a rough couple of days with this, but I can now say I’ve reached a turning point. Although I am still so very saddened at my old friend’s apparent eternal loss, I am all the more grateful for where the Lord has brought me from. And it’s made me all the more determined to reach those who’ve either never heard the gospel, or who have strayed away from the things of the Lord, as I did, all those years ago.

There is a goal, and we must all strive to achieve it in the time we have here on earth. None of us are promised tomorrow, so none of us can afford to put off today what needs to be taken care of, in light of where we (or those we know and love) spend eternity. Indeed, today is the day of salvation!

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