Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Home Group (11/29/07)
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TITLE: Right To Choose | Previous Challenge Entry
By John Capune
12/03/07 -
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the comfort of his shell.
“Can I help?” he offered.
Pausing for a moment, I ran down the mental list. The lasagna was in the oven and would be ready at 7:15. My wife, Renee, was picking up the bread on her way home from work. The Ringo’s were bringing desert and I was finishing up the salad.
Stepping into the large, spacious kitchen Bobby set the quart size bottles of pop he was holding on the counter.
“We are good to go,” I replied, looking up from the lettuce I was chopping, “You can set the table if you like.”
I could tell by his reaction that he wasn’t genuine in his offer of help, but I made no effort to relieve him of his discomfort. I could tell that he came early to talk and there wasn’t anyone to relieve me of my discomfort. I just couldn’t figure out why he wanted to be my friend.
It was last October that Bobby and a faith team had been in our home and led my wife and I to the Lord. In early December he convinced us to start a home group. So, every Wednesday evening we hosted four couples and their children for an evening of food, fellowship and scripture.
I liked Bobby and in many ways, revered him, but felt unworthy to be his friend. He was only 28 and a Godly man who had it all together. I was 47 and starting life over as a Christian. I felt Christ’s power growing within me daily, but didn’t know quite what to think, didn’t know quite what to do. I couldn’t figure out why God wanted someone like me. Why He would use me was beyond my imagination.
Bobby, silverware in hand, began sharing his ambivalence about his sermon for Sunday, Sanctity of Life Sunday. I made sympathetic noises, but in my heart I was wondering why he was talking to me. Didn’t he have some preacher friends he could speak too? Surely there were people at church more religious then me that would understand preacher stuff.
The problem was, that as a new Christian, I kept stumbling over thoughts and ideologies that weren’t very Godly and I wasn’t sure what to do, how to handle it. I didn’t really check this “Christian thing” out before I gave my heart to Jesus. My wife and I just did it in the passion of the moment.
What was so amazing was sooner or later these Baptist got into everything... wasn’t anything private or sacred? It’s not like I supported abortion. The one girl I got pregnant when I was just a kid, I offered to marry. I was, after all, a stand-up-guy. But this... this abortion thing... was none of my business. It was a woman’s body and if she wanted to, then so be it. She would probably be better off anyway. I was through raising kids and wasn’t going around populating the world, so it wasn’t my problem. As Bobby continued, I silently made plans to stay home on Sunday and clean the barn.
Four days later, barn forgotten, my wife and I were sitting in church when Pastor Dean began to preach. Suddenly I remembered our conversation and groaned, earning a sharp jab in the ribs from my wife. But as Bobby preached, something extraordinary happened. As he spoke the walls and people all fell away. It was just Bobby and me in a large, open expanse of space. His words, like thunder, rained hammer blows upon my hardened heart. Suddenly everything became clear, suddenly, I understood for the first time God’s infinite love... a love not just for me, but for all His children and I began to weep for all who were lost.
The following Tuesday, my wayward daughter showed up on our doorstep. She was quiet and tentative, not her usual, boisterous self. I immediately recognized the warning signs and braced myself for trouble.
“Daddy,” she hedged, “I’m pregnant... I want an abortion.”
I looked first to my wife and then to my hapless child.
“No, we will take care of you and, if necessary, we will raise the child.”
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