I'm okay when I'm with you
It's when I leave, everything hurts
Truthfully,
On your path between now to where you can honestly say…
‘I’m okay LORD! I’M TRULY FREE… Yippee! :)
It’s gonna suck.
IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY.
So,
On your path to victory.
I pray GOD gives you people like this...
Imagine:
At 7:45pm I'd arrive at their home. Then not leave until 10:30pm to 10:45pm, five days a week... for THREE SOLID YEARS.
(Their hearts must have sunk when they heard me ring their door.. a lot!)
Yet night after night they would patiently listen.
Smile, pray for me.
One fresh born Christian in a heck of a rush.
Encouraging and discipling me.
Confronting me.
Yet always…
Gently.
And I also recall saying to them…
“I’m okay when I’m with you.”
I never wanted to leave their little family.
Their tiny wooden house. Their warmth and joy.
So as you can see,
Acceptance is like a healing balm.
Five years ago our Church started holding table tennis evenings.
Soon up to thirty residents between eighteen and fifty years old from a local drug rehab also started coming along.
They loved it.
And there we saw what only Jesus can do…
These downtrodden broken souls became children again.
Laughing. Playing. Being silly!
Opening their hearts… sharing their stories.
They also started coming to Church…
And began getting saved.
It was so cool!
One in particular stood out.
A huge bear of a man.
Big drug problems. Yet very gentle.
Anyway,
One Sunday morning after the service he mentioned he loved playing drums, so we handed the sticks and told him to have a go.
“Really!! Me?”
And as he sat behind the kit and began playing his face lit up like a Christmas tree.
Some folk from the team accompanied him playing piano and singing.
And despite it being 'Christian' music he lapped it up.
So,
We invited him to the midweek worship practices.
Then after a while…
Shock!
We invited him to play drums with us in live worship during a Sunday morning service!
“What me ??”
He replied.
Yup.
“Why not?
The LORD’s given you a gift. Why not give it a go? What’s the worse that can happen?
You’re really good on those drums :)"
And so long story short.
He did.
And was superb!
Very sensitive to the presence of GOD in the worship.
His FACE SHONE.
Beautiful, effortless playing.
Until that is,
Two folks in Church objected about him.
The worship leader told me they complained about ‘that guy from Rehab’ being involved because ‘He wasn’t a Christian’…
Fair enough.
Good point.
Scriptural.
Yet for all their correctness…
Both the worship leader and I felt the LORD was up to something special here.
Jesus knew the deepest need of this ‘big bear of a man' was for APPROVAL.
ACCEPTANCE. Validation.
We felt Jesus was giving him FULL PERMISSION to do something he REALLY, REALLY LOVED.
By letting him play drums with the team. By being part of something good.
No telling off.
No time limits.
No 'if buts' conditions.
No 'make yourself a better person first' then we decide if you can join in with the 'other happy people' at Church.
So, our worship leader gave her response to criticism.
“Sorry!
We're not kicking him out of the worship team… HE STAYS.”
Good on her.
As a result,
(You already know what’s coming ;)
'Big Bear' got saved.
Overjoyed to come to Wednesday night worship practices.
Thrilled to read his Bible.
Fully accepted.
Respected.
One night at practice (before he was born again) he shared…
“You know what, when I am here with you guys, I’M OKAY!”
Yup, Jesus does that eh. He accepts us 100% :)
All good…
Until later.
After he'd be a Christian a few months,
One day his Mum and Dad came to a service.
Spotting his Dad in the foyer I rushed over and congratulated him and his wife saying what a fantastic son they had…
And then I saw it.
His Dad detested him.
He muttered something bitterly and marched off.
His wife scurried after him apologising.
Then tragically,
Eleven months or so later…
‘Big Bear’ was found dead.
Four months after finishing rehab he’d gone ‘missing in action’ from Church so brothers had gone out to look for him.
Is he in heaven now?
I reckon so.
Jesus says...
"All whom My Father gives (entrusts) to Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, no never, reject one of them who comes to Me]."
John 6:37 AMPC
This brother was a genuine believer, yet took an overdose after having a lapse.
A man who in truth was still a baby Christian, yet because his testimony was having a big impact, our enemy went after.
Yet GOD is faithful. He knows those who are His.
Imagine though if his Dad had accepted him.
Then perhaps his blossoming new life would be still with us.
Here we see the power...
Of acceptance.
Of rejection.
Plus please, please please!
Don't you reject YOURSELF either.
"Love others as you love yourself."
Galatians 5:14 MSG
Have a great weekend.
Love Dave
PS Don't be like 'Big Bears' Dad.
Repulsed by his son. Bitter.
Accept others.
Accept yourself.
Your Father in Heaven does.
"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature."
2 Peter 1:4 KJV
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Psalm 37:4 ESV
Accept yourself. Accept others.
Delight in GOD… and watch Him give you everything!
There’s a fentanyl crisis in my state and, yes, it’s a border state. Just one teeny tiny grain can kill a person. The dealers lace other drugs, even pot, with fentanyl. The user has no idea. Lots of accidental deaths in our community.
The most important thing is believing loyalty to Yahweh, the Creator of all, and His Son, our beloved Yeshua Hamashiach. King David sinned greatly, but he always and only loved and worshiped our Sovereign Lord. And our incarnate Messiah is of the house of David, Jesus our King.
We all who, by God’s grace and mercy, will spend eternity in our Father’s mansion will be quite surprised by who we’ll see in heaven. 🥰
And, surprised by who’s not there.
What a beautiful piece you’ve written. I’m so grateful you all loved your struggling brother so well.
Thank you for sharing this testimony!
John 6:38–40
[38] For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. [39] And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. [40] For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (ESV)