It’s 1982. Life on earth is going along fine. You are riding your bike, enjoying a great first job in the tech industry, and spending time at NASA-Johnson Space Center in Houston. No worries. Then one day – “Houston we have a Problem“. Something happens in your life that rocks your happy world. You try to dig yourself out of the crisis, but it only gets worse. You talk to your best friends looking for answers. Nothing. They have no clue how to help, they have their own troubles.
You reach a tipping point that you finally look up and say “why me“?! “Crickets”. So you ride your bike searching for answers. Then a week later one of those friends leaves a Bible by your front door with some passages highlighted. You’re initial reaction is one of puzzlement and surprise. After reading the highlighted portions, it had the answer to my question “why me“. Frankly, I did not like the answer. Sometimes answers from God are not immediate and can be difficult to accept. I later learn to appreciate things happening on his timing and terms – not mine. I didn’t want to accept the answer, but eventually could not refuse that it was the truth no matter how much I made excuses.
Then the question is what you do with the answer you received? Talk to your friend about it? Forget the whole thing? I decide to talk to him. His answer back was straight forward “keep reading”. Exploring the Bible can be time consuming, confusing, sometimes in conflict with what you believe, and very complex at times. I later come to realize that the friend that put the Bible by my front door knew me pretty well. I was a science tech guy, and would need to struggle with the Bible and God’s teachings.
This is the Bible he put on my front door. I decided to take on the mission of exploring the Bible, and then riding to think about what I have read. Eventually, I find myself talking to Jesus like he was on the back of the bike. I didn’t know how to pray like I had heard Christians doing, so just talked to him asking lots of questions. (When in open country and not in heavy traffic) I didn’t tell anyone at the time fearing I’d be locked up as a crazy motorcycle guy on drugs.
As background, I was raised Catholic, and semi-forced to attend mass every Sunday by my Dad who clearly had good intentions, but I didn’t like attending. Church never had much impact on me growing up. However, this experience of reading the Bible first hand was different. As I read, the crisis I was facing at the time took on less significance compared to my increasing understanding/appreciation of the teachings of Jesus Christ directly in the Bible. While I’m sure church can be a great path for many to find Jesus, I did not go to church at that time in my life. Then one day at a very low point in the crisis I was dealing with, I come to accept Jesus Christ as my savior. Boy did my world change, and take me down different roads I didn’t expect or sometimes plan to go down.
My faith and walk with Christ has been anything but a straight line. I recently came to understand why after reading an article by Pastor Harold Rhodes. Harold Rhodes was a pastor of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, who died in 2021. He was ordained a minister in 1969 and served congregations in Missouri, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Alabama and Florida.
“Some people hear it and receive it joyfully but without conviction, only to let go of it as soon as it creates a conflict in their lives. Others hear it but neglect to give it the time and attention it needs to thrive. The seed only grows in those God the Father is calling and who choose to follow His way of life. In other words, not everyone hears the gospel of the Kingdom. And of those who hear it, not everyone understands it. And of those who understand it, not everyone accepts it. Many are called, but few are chosen.“
This drawing I saw online makes the point really well when it comes to making plans for our lives. We can make all the plans we want, but in the end its God’s plan for us that matters.