High School Retreat & Jim

I met some really interesting people this weekend! It all began Friday when I took Joan's car, an Eclipse, to one of her clients' shops because he said he could repair the rear hatch lift for her. Joan's client, Jim, owns a big truck paint, body, and repair shop in a nearby town. I was not having the best morning - attitude wise - but I drove over to Jim's shop. As I met Jim, he took a look at the problem and put one of his best technicians, James, on it. While James was going to another shop to get a tool we needed, Jim began to tell me the story of his recent conversion to Christianity. What a fantastic story of God working in someone's life!

I was enthralled and deeply touched as he told me what all he had been through in his life - not believing or caring about God. Jim said he had tried everything to fill the hole in his life but all was in vain. 10 weeks ago, Jim got a call from his daughter who lives on the coast of Texas asking him to come for a visit. Jim had never spent much time with his many kids while they were growing up and yet they had forgiven him. Jim had never forgiven himself though. He told his daughter he would come down on Saturday.

Saturday came and he just went in to the shop an worked. She called about noon and asked if he was coming and he said, "I've got a lot of work to do." She said, "I didn't think you would come."

Jim hung up the phone, got in his truck and started driving toward the coast. He planned to get near her town and rent a motel room. He didn't want to have to go to church with her on Sunday morning so he would just wake up in the motel room after church was over, drive in to eat lunch and then head back home. Just about the time he came up with this plan, his daughter called him on his cell phone and asked where he was. He decided to drive on to her house and spend the night.

She asked him to go to church with her on Sunday and for some reason he said "O.K."

Jim said the sermon that Sunday seemed to be aimed right at him and really made him think about his life and how he had spent it searching but not finding what he wanted. The preacher asked everyone to bow and asked if anyone wanted to turn their life over to Christ for them to come to the front of the auditorium. Jim just sat there, and then he felt a tap on his shoulder. There was a man sitting behind him that said, "I'll go down there with you if you want me to."

Jim didn't even know the man. Jim said, "No. This should be a walk I take with my daughter."

Jim turned his life over to Christ and he drove back down to the coast a week later to be baptized. He said it is the first time in his life he has felt whole. Jim tells everyone he meets about his conversion and how God is working in his life.

When I heard Jim's story, I thought how wonderful it must be to be that man that tapped him on the shoulder. God was working through him and what a difference he made!

I left Jim's place with Joan's car fixed and my soul uplifted. On the way home, I revised the lesson I would be teaching on the High School Retreat to include Jim's story. My lesson was about Barnabus and the affect he had on Saul. I guess the man that touched Jim on the shoulder was acting like Barnabus - letting God work through them to give a lost man a second chance.

The retreat was great! We had 27 High School kids who were eager to learn, talk, play games, run, and eat. More on that later!

Please say a prayer for Jim!