Never Too Late by Jeanne

Never Too Late    Jeanne

It was 10 AM on a chilly Valentine's Day and my Father decided to join his sister, Emma, for a late breakfast at Country Kitchen. The temperature was barely above zero when he opened the garage door and started to make his way towards the driver's side before he lost his balance and fell. He tried to get up several times, but he just didn't have the strength.

For 45 minutes, he struggled to pull his cell phone from his pocket and call for help. But, the longer he lay there, the more the cold weather caused his muscles to cramp to the point he couldn't move at all. He thought this was it. The end. He would die, at 90, all alone in his garage. He was surprised when suddenly his neighbor, Tracy, appeared and helped him to his feet and brought him into his house. When my father did not arrive at the restaurant, my Aunt became worried and decided to call him. Maybe he had changed his mind or wanted to sleep in. But when she reached into her purse to pull out her cell phone, she also pulled out a slip of paper with Tracy's phone number on it and then chose to call him instead.

Last week during a visit, my aunt, Emma, shared the story with me. "Wasn't that a Godsend?" What? My mouth dropped open. A Godsend? Did she actually just use the word God in a sentence? Is this the same woman, who two months earlier, had refused my offer of healing prayer with a defiant "absolutely not!". She declared "Now, how did I just happen to have Tracy's number on a scrap of paper in my purse? I don't carry numbers with me." She picked up a small piece of paper that was actually a corner of an envelope and waved it at me." Look at this! I mean, how could I find this slip in my purse so quickly? Tracy was at home too and he ran right over. I just don't think it was a coincidence, at all. Do you?" I smiled and nonchalantly replied. "No, I don't. I am sure God had his hand in it. He loves my Father." She smiled and I could see a faint glimmer of hope in her eyes. A hope of a God, that she had dared not yet admit, existed.

She is 89 and for years I had talked to her about God's goodness in my life, but she wasn't buying it. I understood why too. You see, I didn't believe in Him for years either. It was only when I saw Him personally move in my own life, that my heart softened to the reality that maybe He was real. To tell you the truth, my heart has been heavy this past year thinking Emma would die and would never know God was real for herself. It filled me with so much joy, last week, that she had found Him all on her own. Never doubt that it is too late for anyone. God is always knocking on His children's hearts, but sometimes our own zealousness in sharing God's love for us gets in the way. You can push and push and PUSH and all it does is make the unbeliever put up more walls. God doesn't need our help! Especially if it isn't working. Only He can pull a rabbit out of his hat to show your loved one He is real. Stop striving. Start resting in the fact that He loves them just as much as He does you and is working behind the scenes to make Himself known. Feeling helpless? Like you just can't stand back and let them go to Hell in a hand basket? Pray that the unbelievers in your life have an experience that will rock their world that you have absolutely nothing to do with. You mean I don't get to bring them to Christ? Nope. Probably not. Time to get over it. But don't worry, rejoice in all of the seeds you have planted over the years. I have no doubt that this has all helped your loved one to get to this point. The Holy Spirit is a big boy and doesn't need your help. Resting = Let Him take it from here.

1 Corinthians 3:7

The Voice (VOICE)

7 so the ones who water and plant have nothing to brag about. God, who causes the growth, is the only One who matters.