Glad to have you back again. As we await the arrival of our Best Friend’s birth at Christmas, we are looking at the other friends God has placed on our path as part of our “Legacy of Faith.”
Believers who have followed Christ for multiple decades are like trees that have weathered the storms of life, but new believers are like young shoots in the garden of life. Their passion can energize our faith. They too become part of our growing legacy.
Over the years, I have done a fair amount of lay counseling. The first time I met L., she came reluctantly, under protest, at the urging of her mother. L. had shaved her head, had multiple piercings, and wore a dark scowl on her face. Drug and alcohol addictions had caused her to attempt suicide on multiple occasions. Doctors responded by pumping her full of antidepressants. She fought with her parents and refused to obey their house rules.
L. declined to see me again. She had no desire to be “fixed.”
Months later, L. changed her mind. She agreed to meet with me even though our sessions included Bible study. Then, one evening, she arrived in a passion of excitement. Elders at a local church had prayed over her and cast out several demons. Demons? Her story left me uncomfortable. Did my faith allow God to work in such a dramatic way?
L. was a new believer, but I watched as her insights into familiar passages became deeper, her applications to her own life were on target. A year went by. L. moved to Texas to attend a Bible school. She married. She became a mom. Across the miles, we stayed in touch.
L’s faith grew, but so did mine as I watched God transform her life in every area. L. brought the truth of 2 Cor. 5:17 to life: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Do you know a person who is just beginning to walk with Christ? How can you encourage them? I know God will use them to encourage you also!
