Previous Challenge Entry
Topic: Doors (04/05/04)
TITLE: HE OPENED THE DOOR By Linda Ryzenga 04/10/04 |
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I often think about the kind, gentle lady who helped me make the most important decision in my life. This happened one night during a tent revival.
The summer that I turned 12, my parents and I were living in Philadelphia. We had moved there from Fort Wayne Indiana, leaving our relatives behind. In July of that particular summer, my parents and I drove to Fort Wayne to visit our relatives, and I stayed with my Aunt while we were there. Auntie, as I called her, was a wonderful, loving Christian woman who had never married. I admired her greatly, and never really knowing my blood grandmother, this aunt seemed more like a grandmother to me.
After visiting for a week in Fort Wayne, I pleaded with my parents to let me stay behind, with my aunt, while they returned to the east coast. They consented which enabled me to stay another three weeks.
One night my aunt took me to a tent revival meeting, which was sponsored by her church. Following the sermon that evening, the pastor asked for those who felt they would like to accept Jesus into their hearts, to go forward to the alter. I remember feeling a definite urge to go forward, but feeling very uncertain of what I should do. Just then a lady sitting in front of us turned around and said,
“Honey would you like me to accompany you to the alter? You look as if you want to go. Would you like to accept Jesus into your heart?”
I shook my head, as if to say yes. She then took my hand, this gentle lady, and led me up to the alter. This is where I accepted the Lord Jesus into my heart.
I now know that the Lord worked through that lady to open the door to my salvation. I'll never know what choice I would have made had it not been for her. God stirred my heart and she helped me make a decision, the most important decision of my life.
Later that night, as my aunt and I walked home, I felt as if I was walking on clouds. It felt absolutely wonderful! Never, will I ever forget that glorious feeling.
Quite often I think of that kind and gentle lady and how I wish I could thank her. I really and sincerely believe that the Lord worked through her to open that door to salvation.
1 Thessalonians:5:9
For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath
but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.