While sitting on the bank of a river one day, I picked up a solid round stone from the water and broke it open. It was perfectly dry in spite of the fact that it had been immersed in water for centuries. The same is true of many people in the Western world. For centuries they have been surrounded by Christianity; they live immersed in the waters of its benefits. And yet it has not penetrated their hearts; they do not love it. The fault is not in Christianity, but in men's hearts, which have been hardened by materialism and intellectualism. ... Sadhu Sundar Singh Google this for more info. about author before you yell at me.
I had intended to talk to one of our graduates this month about their moment with God when they knew that Jesus was calling to them and they must answer. I still want to do that another time. In trying to find a graduate and not having any luck I came across the paragraph above in my saved documents folder. Now I was on a quest to find a stone that had been soaking in the water. I decided to call my friend Linda Diamond to see if she knew of any stones in our congregation and low and behold, SHE was my stone! Who knew, a ‘Diamond in the rough’? Here is her story.
I began my spiritual journey in a small Baptist church in the suburbs of Philadelphia. I flourished in Christ by attending Sunday school and church and participating in the many children activities such as Bible School, summer camps, youth group and choir. I was further blessed by living in a Christian home with both parents, a grandmother and an aunt. Who would not continue to grow in such a wonderful nourishing environment?
At the age of 13, I made the most important decision of my life. Along with several others in Sunday school, I committed myself to Jesus Christ in the waters of baptism. As the years passed, I tried to walk with Christ but I knew that I had fallen down many times. However, He was true to His promises and He never forsakes me but picked me up and carried me through some of the most difficult times in my life, especially the death of my father.
After I was married, it became very easy to make excuses for not finding a church home or for not even attending church on a limited basis. We had our very busy lives and felt that we had time to make those decisions later on. So....we just continued to put Christ off. I was happy; we had a very good marriage and were lucky to have most things going our way. However, I soon realized that there was a void in my life. I could not exactly put my finger on the reason for this feeling but I knew that this void could not be filled by material possessions or any worldly thing that I could think about.
The turning point came when my daughter, Jaclyn, accepted Christ and was baptized. And, here is where our God is so amazing. My husband also became a follower of Jesus Christ a short while after. What I had been trying to accomplish for years God made a reality. We had come full circle. Our family had become part of God’s family through the waters of baptism. Finally, I knew that I had filled the void in my life.
My story does not end here. Several years later, while on a missions trip in the DR, I decided to once again proclaim Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. Against the backdrop of the setting sun over the blue Caribbean waters, I again offered my life however damaged or whole to Christ. This time I was totally sure that no matter how many “dry” spells I would go through that Jesus would be with me always with the life giving water to restore by soul.
Isaiah 58:11 The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Linda Diamond
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If you know of a grad that would be willing to share their story of Salvation with me, please let me know. Call or email. 259-0036 We have such incredible teens in our church and I would like to give them a show of support. Thanks.
Don’t forget the Fishwrapper Blog. All of our issues are there for sharing with others or reading again yourself. Hope you are enjoying them, P. http://thefishwrapper-prudence.blogspot.com
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