September 29, 2004
From Seal Beach peir looking north westward towards the Long Beach Harbor/Port of Los Angeles. That is the Long Beach, California skyline in the distance...
Im sure that you have read this and said "Gee, thats a nice story, doesnt this belong on the blog you have for fiction?" Well, no as this is not fiction. This is my story, the retelling of an event that happened on this day September 29,1988 that completly changed my life. I went on to that counseling session and chuckled through the two hours of group, unable to explain to the others what was going on.
Once the left, Amy the social worker looked at me and said "OK what is so funny?" I said " You are not going to believe it..." and launched into the narrative that you have just read. Amy, an Observant Jew, kept scooting to the edge of her chair until she stood up and stared at me mouth agape..
"You have spoken with God, like Moses and the burning bush..." Amy said
"Yes, apperently so" I replied
"Well," Amy replied with no trace of disbelief and all sincerity, "what are you going to do.."
I repiled "Anything He tells me to. I believe that He will be with me. He promised."
I returned home. There was a note from J on a list of things to do that I had written and left on the table. He agreed to all of them from selling the house to my calling my lawyer and signed a note stating to whom in may concern that he would be agreeable to all terms that I negotiated. A first from a very prideful, controling person. I felt the nudge to go for it... to grab a hold of life
A few months prior to this Legal Aid had refered me to a lawyer "that takes cases like yours." and I met Ed, who was less concerned for the divorce and more concerned for my soul. He was an Elder at Hosanna Chapel (Calvary Chapel) of Bellflower. I do believe that his prayers led dierectly to the events of this day and to the future events that occured in my life. He is with our Lord now and I look forward to meeting him in heaven.
I sold the house as is in 30 days for a large profit. I found a home to move into that turned out to be owned by other Hosanna attendees. I lived there 6 years and flowered into the person you know today. I entered intensive counseling at BIOLA University and spent 5 years working out the many issuse in my life. Its a work in progress. My divorce from J was final in 1989, B showed up in my life just as Woody and I started dating, Woody told him to get lost more or less and he has. There have been many bumps in the road but for the most part there has been peace of mind. It was all Gods doing.
Miracles, signs and wonders have followed but also a lot of pain too. Its not easy to follow the narrow way, but it is the right way. I have never ceased to be glad for it. Even more so on the 15th anniversary of this event.
One thing that came about was learning how much I had learned as a child growing up Baptist. I had learned my Bible verses and the hymns, but I was 18 inches away from salvation. It was all in my head, not in my heart. It isnt about the "Sinners Prayer" attending church or how much you do for God. Its about relationship and trusting Him for everything. I know that salvation occured on that beach, because of the radical transformation of life that continues to be transformed day by day. Its all about Him,I only received the gift. Its all about Jesus...
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise!
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming toungues above
Praise His Name! Im fixed upon it,
Name of God's redeeming love!
Hither to Thy love has blessed me,
Thou has drawn me to this place
And I know Thy hand will lead me
Safely home by Thy good grace
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Bought me with His precious blood!
Oh,to grace, how great a debtor,
Duly Im constrained to be
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love!
Here's my heart, Lord take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above!
Robert Robertson 1758
