Greetings in Christ. I trust that God is sustaining you in
your ministry and is showing you His love and provision.
I continue my story, with an unexpected digression brought
on by something that happened this week. ... I was the second of five children
- two boys and three girls. We all grew up in the same home, in the same solid
church, and attending the same Christian school. We all went to Christian
college. With the same godly foundation, it would seem logical that we all
ended up in a similar spiritual condition, but such was not the case.
My older brother has remained faithful; he is a respected
leader and very active in his church. My younger brother has spent his life in
Christian camp work, Christian school, and various pastoral or assistant pastor
roles. Most of my life has been in Christian service, and I still serve as I am
able.
My two sisters are different. They both started out well. At
some point in their college years, both were leaning toward missions. One took
a missions trip to Kenya and graduated with a missions major. The other made
plans to finish her college studies in Africa as a means of getting onto the
mission field. They worked in Christian camps. One of them taught Christian
school for a few years.
At some point everything changed. I know the change was
gradual and didn't happen overnight. Certainly there were factors that
contributed, though it is still hard for me to fully comprehend how they could
have changed so much. For a while both kept up appearances, but eventually it
came out that they had rejected God.
They both claimed to no longer believe in God. They stopped
going to church. They embraced worldly lifestyles. They chose questionable
marriage partners and unbiblical relationships. Both went through divorces. They stood on the wrong side of some important issues. One of them explored various religions.
One went through stages of very little communication with the rest of us, and
even times when we did not know where she was for a while. The conclusion is
that they both chose lifestyles and belief systems that ignored and even denied
God. As a family we still loved them. We prayed for them. If we had the
opportunity, we talked to them. This went on for five years, ten years, fifteen
years.
Then last summer things started to change. After her divorce and some tumultuous years still living with her ex-husband, the older of the two sisters decided to move
back home. She settled near my parents, which was a huge step after many years
of trying to get as far away as possible. During a conversation on a family
trip, she left me an opening for follow-up with a compassionate email that
touched her heart. At the same time, she was using an online dating service and
accidentally went on a date with a Christian man who challenged her. She had
been softened, I believe, by the love and support of my parents, my brother,
and Christian friends that she was again living near. Within a few weeks, she
had returned to God, evidencing a very tender heart. She still has some
challenges brought on by years of wrong thinking and poor choices, but she is
now faithfully following God and seeking His help.
For my younger sister, we were burdened by successive relationships, one of which resulted in pregnancy. They had no plans to get
married, as they viewed that as a religious thing that didn't matter to them.
The baby was born in February of this year. About a month later, they unexpectedly
got married. I didn't hear any explanation, but I began to see little hints
that they might be going to church. She responded positively to some talk of
prayer or God's blessings on others. I wondered if things were changing, but
she didn't say anything. Then on this past Sunday, she shared that she and her
husband had participated in a baby dedication, which she acknowledged was
actually a parent dedication - a commitment to raise their child in God's ways.
She rejoiced that her 12-year old daughter got saved that same day. She and her
husband have been regularly attending a solid church.
My heart was so blessed on Sunday to hear this news. After
so many years, God had brought both of my sisters back to Him. In less than a
year, two prodigals had returned.
Maybe you face a similar situation in your family, perhaps
even one of your children. Maybe it's a childhood friend, a former co-worker,
or someone you have invested in for years as part of your ministry. I hope my
story will encourage you that there is hope. God is able to bring those people
back. He still loves them. Like the father of the prodigal son, He waits and
watches, ready to run and embrace these wanderers as soon as they approach Him.
It is a dangerous position that they have chosen, but we serve a God who is
patient, loving, forgiving, merciful, and compassionate beyond our
comprehension. "It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed,
because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness."
(Lamentations 3:22-23). No one is beyond the reach of God, and He can
powerfully use His truth that the wanderer has heard over the years. If that
person was truly saved, the Holy Spirit keeps tugging at the heart, inviting
and calling, and if he isn't saved, God is not willing for any to perish.
Keep praying. Keep trusting. Keep loving. Keep reaching out.
Keep giving of yourself. What you do today matters for eternity.
As always, don't feel pressured to answer, but if you want
to, I am happy to hear from you.
Love in Christ,
Peggy HoltOpen Door Baptist Church
Lebanon, PA
www.dearmissionarylady.blogspot.com
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
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