A Change In Our Family Tree

It's February 10, 1994 Shane and I are approaching our 1st anniversary. Our first year of marriage has not been...well...full of bliss I guess I could say. We both want what we want and really didn't know how to love each other. We came from "dysfunctional" families you might say. Unfortunately we had some doozie (is that a word) of fights that first year, and we have said probably wouldn't have made to our first anniversay if not for the phone call we received. It goes something like this...Ring, ring (a little Michael Trenty hee hee) I answer the phone..."Hello"--"Hello Ms. Tammy this is Sam Varghese from Calvary Baptist Church how are you tonight? Diane and I were wanting to stop by to visit with you and Shane is tonight a good time?" (I cover the phone and say its Sam from the church wanting to come over again!, you see they had tried on several occasions and we would make excuses. Sadly we were even those people who when you are door knocking would pretend to not be at home! So I say to Shane why don't we let them come over, then maybe they will leave us alone, he agrees.) In a sweet voice I reply,"Sure that would be fine what time." From the time they entered our home we knew they cared about us, they talked about this and that just spent time making us feel comfortable, then Bro. Sam asked a question. You see the Lord had been dealing with Shane for some time but he kept going back to that profession and baptism that had occured as a child, I would tell him you should talk to that preacher maybe he can help you. But when the question was put to him that night "Do you know where you will spend eternity?" Shane answered, "No" then Sam asked,"Would you like to know?" Shane said,"YES!" So they went to the back bedroom of our little 2 bedroom mobile home and Bro. Sam opened the Bible and showed him how to be saved. Shane called upon the Lord that night and it literally changed his life. Which in turn changed mine...

Bro. Sam and Diane took an interest in us, they knew we had been avoiding them, they never acted like it. They immediately started having us over to go through the ABC's of Christian growth. They didn't criticize me for coming to their house in blue jeans, never even made me feel uncomfortable, they didn't preach at us about music or movies, they loved us where we were. Why because that's what the Lord wants us to do. We aren't the ones to change people He is, if we are the cause for the change, it won't last! I truly thought I was saved, they had enough discernment to know I wasn't but they put that in the Lord's hands as well. It wasn't until about 5 months later that I got saved. That's for another day....

But the thought for today...there are those who seem disinterested...don't give up! We were those people we thought we could just go to church here and there, but the Lord had other plans, and thankfully the Varghese were faithful! Didn't give up! The Lord loves people, even those hard to love ones, and He loves them through us!!!