Chasing the Wind

Matthew 12:34: For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

I’ve been asked to share my testimony at Second Baptist church this weekend. Everybody that comes to Christ has a story about how they finally gave up their stubborn ways and finally listened to what God has been saying to them. I was particularly stubborn, but He’s given me an awesome story to share.

Testimony
My name is Michael, and I married my best friend in 1996. Small problems grew into bigger problems over the next year, and without a marriage foundation based on the Word of God, we divorced a year and a half later. I felt I had hit bottom. I was lonely and discouraged, and I cried out for God to give me a fresh start somewhere else, anywhere else but here. God granted my prayer, and within the month I found myself living in Singapore.

While in Singapore, I started going to church, and a Malaysian evangelist took an interest in me. Together, we studied the Word, and I finally understood that the story of Jesus and His death on the cross wasn’t just a story; Jesus died for me. Personally. I accepted Jesus as my savior.

When the job in Singapore suddenly ended and I was sent back to Houston, I didn’t know what God had planned, but with my new faith in Christ, I wasn’t worried. God would reveal all when He was ready. I started looking for a new church here in Houston, and I heard many good things about Second. I received a couple of invitations from strangers to visit Second. Then I met a couple of Second Baptist church members at a professional engineer’s breakfast. Then my next door neighbor not only invited me, but offered to drive, too. I thought, “I ought to go visit Second. God is sending a lot of invitations my way.”

Then one night last November I got an invitation I couldn’t refuse. My ex-wife, my ex-best-friend, called. My heart was pounding when I saw her name on my caller id after 7-1/2 years. I wasn’t sure how she even found me since I had been overseas and moved twice. She told me that after we divorced, she had found Christ 3 years ago here at Second Baptist. She had been studying forgiveness when she felt compelled to call me. After I told her that I had accepted Jesus, too, we found we had a lot to talk about. That first night, we spent 7 hours on the phone. I finally had to hang up at 4 in the morning because I had to go to work at 7.

Of course I accepted her invitation to visit Second. When God sends your ex-wife to invite you to church, it’s very intimidating. I attended the F.A.Q. classes to get to know Second Baptist, and joined in December. Along with my ex-wife, we’re now helping at the Divorce Recovery classes on Wednesday night and sharing with others what we’ve learned about marriage, divorce, forgiveness, and God’s will. And I’m happy to say that my ex-wife is now my Christian girlfriend, and we have been dating for 3-1/2 months.

There’s more to that story, but I don’t know what it is yet. 😛