I received a call from San Jose a few days ago. Oh, the wonders of the Internet! He took his cousin's advise, Googled for my daughter Stefanie's MySpace, asked for our number so he could call me. Eric was a mere 15 year when we were in San Jose. Now, at 29, married and with 4 kids he has been in the Lord as of two years ago. As Eric regretfully recalls, he had no interest to heed my counsel back then. He brought to my remembrance things I said and did which I would not remembered on my own. He holds a special memory of the time I went to watch one of his high school wrestling matches. We spoke for almost 3 hours, now, as brothers in the Lord and as dwelling temples of the Holy Spirit. For Eric, it was a matter of reaching, by the grace of God, that point in his life where he looked at the foolishness and stupidity of a boy's life and seeing there was not much difference in his life as a man, now. He began searching the scriptures, hungrily. Finally, the day came when he walked in to his manager's office to announce he was skipping his lunch break in order to leave early. "I'm going to get baptized" he declared to her. "What! Whoa, Honey! Come on in and lets talk about this" was her response. After Eric explained how this was something he had comtemplated and really thought about his resolve remained unchanged. "Well, if that's what you want to do" she said. He now turned his focus to call out to her with the message of the gospel he himself had not obeyed, yet. "That's fine, but I'm a witch" she said. What Eric replied, I thought was all too powerful. Rather than exalt or attempt to justify himself as people often do: I may be a drunkard, but I'm not a fornicator, or, I steal but al least I don't abuse drugs. No, Eric's response was: "Your witchcraft practice is the same as the life I have been living". I praised and commended Eric for this insight and message, which I have no doubt was by the Spirit. "Rebellion is as witchcraft" said Samuel to Saul.
Eric understood well his life of disobedience to be no different than practicing, by any other name, witchcraft.
Just as Eric got into a baptismal roble his wife, Myra, came up declaring she too would no longer delay her commitment to Jesus as Lord and was baptized together with her husband. Eric is now, by the grace and work of the Spirit, returning to the fellowship of the saints and leading his family back after having allowed the Tempter to deceive him momentarily. The Lord, bless with your prayers, Eric and Myra and their children as they rejoice in the fellowship of the saints, again. |
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