Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Calm (emotionally) (09/13/07)
-
TITLE: "This man named Fred" | Previous Challenge Entry
By Elizabeth Jones
09/16/07 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
The preacher that Sunday said that we all needed to have more calmness in our lives.
I thought, “calmness was not something that I wanted to learn about”. I thought the sermon that the Pastor gave was just a waist of time.
One day Lisa asked me if I would like to go to the Nursing Home with her because she had no one that volunteered to go. I really didn’t want to go either but she begged me, so I went.
When I got to the Nursing Home, Lisa told me that she would go visit the residents on the left side of the building and for me to visit the residents on the right side of the building. As I went to each room, the residents were so sweet to me and they seemed to appreciate me visiting them.
Finally, I came to the last room. I walked in and a man was lying on the bed. The man said, “what do you want?”
I said, “Hi my name is Sandy and I am a Christian that has come to visit you.”
He said, “My name is Fred but all Christians are hypocrites that look at everyone else’s sins but not there own”. He then started cursing at me.
After I left the room, I thought, “I just hope I don’t ever see that man again”.
I told Lisa about what happened to me and she said that she used to feel the same way about Christians. She said that some Christians miss out on so much because they do not try to keep learning new things that God wants to teach them.
I thought, “that’s me, I do not want to learn anymore”. I am a person that doesn’t drink, I do not do drugs, I go to Church every Sunday, tithe, I pray, so I thought, “isn’t that enough God?”
Days went by, and I couldn’t get this man off my mind. I started thinking; “I was a Christian just like Fred was talking about”. I prayed and prayed asking Jesus to forgive me of these things. I also prayed for Jesus to help me overcome these things that I had been so blinded about for so long.
The next day, I went back to the Nursing Home. When I walked into Fred’s room, a shoe went flying threw the air that almost hit my face. Fred said, “don’t come back you Christian, don’t come back!”
I was so mad and disappointed. I prayed to God…. “Why this man?” I asked God, “why have you brought this man into my life when he will not even allow me to talk to him?” Then a small-still voice said to me in my thoughts, “be calm and patient with Fred like I have been with you.”
I suddenly remembered the sermon that the pastor preached that taught about calmness. I remember the Pastor talking about how God didn’t give up on us but he was calm and patient with us. I felt like God was trying to tell me not to give up on Fred.
I went back to visit with Fred but the nurses told me that he had a heart attack. They told me that he was in the hospital.
I went to the hospital to Fred’s room but he was unconscious. I prayed and prayed for Fred. I stayed with Fred at the Hospital for days. No one came to visit Fred. I suddenly felt like I was his only family.
When Fred woke up, he said, “What are you doing here?”
I told him that I cared about him and that I wanted to be there for him.
Fred then started to cry. Fred said, “I can’t believe a Christian would care for me.”
A year went by, but each time that I went to visit Fred, the Holy Spirit would remind me, “be calm and patient with Fred”. I guess God knew that I needed to be reminded, because in my heart I just wanted to see fast results.
Finally, Fred told me that he wanted to get to know this Jesus Christ. Fred asked Jesus into his heart and life that day. He prayed and prayed asking for forgiveness. Sunday, Fred came to church with me and got baptized.
I am Thankful that God blessed me with this man named Fred and also for the Holy Spirit teaching me about calmness.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.