A memorial service was held at our church today. Bill, our new brother in Christ who was baptized 24 days ago, met his Savior this past Sunday..exactly 3 weeks after this picture was taken. In the words of my hubby, it was one of most uplifting memorial services he’s been part of.

In the days since Bill died there has also been much rejoicing in our church as so many people have shared how Bill impacted them, or what a blessing it was to minister to him. But the BEST story concerns his very first contact with our church. It happened on a Saturday night, as our Celebrate Recovery service was getting ready to start. A monsoon rainstorm was happening, and one couple was checking doors and helping people inside. As the wind continued to howl, they found a man pressed up against the side of the church, desperate to get out of the rain, with a bicycle beside him. There were two small plastic bags filled with cans tied to the bike, but another bag had been torn away, and cans were scattering across the parking lot. This couple asked the man if he was there for CR, and he asked “what’s that?” He was simply there to escape the rain!

They invited him inside..and he began coming ocassionally. Eventually the church found out he was homeless..and had sometimes lived in his car..and the bike was pretty much all he owned. And you now know the rest of the story..this man was our Bill. Because of a huge storm, Bill was at church trying to escape rain..and because of who our GOD is, He had Bill at church because He was much more interested in Bill escaping the penalty of sin..an eternity separated from God! One person, two different objectives..and yet! God arranged it all, because of one person!!

This story has yet another side to it. Thirteen years ago, God led our church to build our current sanctuary..the very building Bill was leaning against! Before and during the building process, we had many many prayer meetings, asking God to bless and fill the new building with people we didn’t even know. During our prayer walk around the freshly poured foundation, we had four chairs in the middle of it..representing the people God would save there. We are in a main highway, and our pastor was even so bold as to pray that God’s Spirit would be so overpowering that people would be irresitably drawn there! Many people knelt in front of those chairs, praying for those future Christians. And many have come…but none so literally as Bill.

So what’s the point?? GOD. God can, and God will. He will lead us in directions that we don’t know the way to, to pray for things we’ve yet to see, and to watch Him LITERALLY answer those prayers! NONE of us knew the names of ANY of those who would come.. but God did! Bill had no idea that he…broken, dirty, homeless, and almost hopeless..would find himself huddled under a church awning that would lead to his salvation..but God did!!

Are you a “Bill”? God can save you from anything, anywhere, for His glory. And like Bill, He just may use you to impact a whole church, and a whole host of people you will never meet..but that will meet Jesus because of you!

Are you praying for a “Bill”?? Are you asking Him to bring people to you..your church..your workplace..that need Him? Or are you praying for a “Bill” already in your life who you are just about convinced will never change???

Then these three words are for you: AND YET GOD!!! Amen!!