My Friend C.W.
05/26/07 07:28 AM
God is up to something big at Coastal! I've been
saying that for months now. Little by little I've
seen signs of God drawing people to Himself at our
church. We've been praying, building relationships,
inviting, and sharing. And we're starting, just
starting to see the fruit of that labor.
On Tuesday on the way to Kiawah with the boys (see previous posts) I got a phone call. It was from my good friend C.W. I could tell something was different. First of all, I'm the one who usually calls C.W. But I could tell it in his voice. You see, I've known C.W. since I was 13 when my dad died. He is the one who invited me to Vacation Bible School. He is the one who invited me to Camp Edisto when I got saved. He is the one whose mom took me to church every Sunday. We were best friends.
On Tuesday on the way to Kiawah with the boys (see previous posts) I got a phone call. It was from my good friend C.W. I could tell something was different. First of all, I'm the one who usually calls C.W. But I could tell it in his voice. You see, I've known C.W. since I was 13 when my dad died. He is the one who invited me to Vacation Bible School. He is the one who invited me to Camp Edisto when I got saved. He is the one whose mom took me to church every Sunday. We were best friends.
Our paths started to diverge our Jr. year in High
School. It's a long story, but C.W.'s life went in
a different direction than mine. He began to make
friends and choices that would take him down a dark
road far away from God. I stayed the course I was
on. I was going to be a preacher. I graduated High
School, went on to Bible College, met Janet and got
married. After college graduation we moved back to
Charleston to start our church. All through that
time I stayed in contact with C.W. By this time he
was quite a bit further down that road he was on.
We started our church and over the years I never stopped praying for C.W. I'd stop by his house or call him periodically to say hey and get an update on his life, but most importantly to let him know that I was still his friend. His dad passed away during this time. His dad was an alcoholic. But then his mom passed away. She was the glue in their broken home. I was asked to do her funeral. It was the beginning of a turning. It didn't happen all at once, but I could see something still there.
Time passed and C.W. was at the edge of some major trouble, the result of years of running. He called me and needed help. He came back to church. He got involved, served in ministry. He made new friends. But after a while, with the lure of the world and the pull of his old way of life, he drifted away. I'm not exactly sure why or how, but not unlike many, it happens. I know C.W. has the potential to reach countless people who are far away from God. I know Satan works overtime when people like that come back to God. I know before trying to step back in that world and trying to be an influence, you better be extremely strong yourself, lest they influence you and you fall. And fall he did. For C.W., however, it was black or white. In his mind, he wasn't going to be a hypocrite. It was all or nothing. Of course he wasn't ready to change his behavior either. But, we remained friends. I'd call just to check on him and really so that he'd know we'd always be friends and hopefully so he'd know that the way back home wasn't as hard or far as maybe he thought.
Fast forward to Tuesday morning. C.W. called me. Again, I could tell something was different. He told me that nothing bad had happened, but that he wanted to come home to God. He was miserable. He had money, toys, and relationships, but he wasn't happy. And he knew the answer. It was God. We got together Thursday night. We ate, laughed, shot some pool, and most importantly we talked. We talked about coming home to God. We talked about how God had never left C.W. We talked about how God has been drawing him to Himself and that He obviously has great plans for C.W. Coming home is as simple as a humble admission and asking and turning around to find Jesus right there with arms open wide. That's what C.W. found this week.
We also talked about the difference between religion and a relationship. Religion says clean yourself up first. Religion says Christians don't make mistakes and when they do, there's no room for you in the church. Christianity, however, is a relational journey. It's a journey of becoming, becoming more and more what God already sees. You see, in a way, we're all hypocrites. None of us are perfect. We're simply Christ followers. We all make mistakes. He will make them again. I do and will too. But by His grace, God sees Jesus when He looks at me and C.W. And because of that, I WANT to serve Him, I WANT to follow Him. In fact, and this is so awesome, He even gives me the power to make those changes!
Well, C.W. is making some changes this week, some big, some small, but all miraculous with the power of God. He's coming to church tomorrow. Needless to say, I am majorly JACKED! I know what he'll find at Coastal - love, acceptance, truth, relationships, and LIFE! You know what I found this week? God's timing is not usually mine. Regardless of what I see, He is always drawing people to Himself. Prayer works. Never give up on people. Something special IS happening here at Coastal. A renewed friendship. See you tomorrow!
We started our church and over the years I never stopped praying for C.W. I'd stop by his house or call him periodically to say hey and get an update on his life, but most importantly to let him know that I was still his friend. His dad passed away during this time. His dad was an alcoholic. But then his mom passed away. She was the glue in their broken home. I was asked to do her funeral. It was the beginning of a turning. It didn't happen all at once, but I could see something still there.
Time passed and C.W. was at the edge of some major trouble, the result of years of running. He called me and needed help. He came back to church. He got involved, served in ministry. He made new friends. But after a while, with the lure of the world and the pull of his old way of life, he drifted away. I'm not exactly sure why or how, but not unlike many, it happens. I know C.W. has the potential to reach countless people who are far away from God. I know Satan works overtime when people like that come back to God. I know before trying to step back in that world and trying to be an influence, you better be extremely strong yourself, lest they influence you and you fall. And fall he did. For C.W., however, it was black or white. In his mind, he wasn't going to be a hypocrite. It was all or nothing. Of course he wasn't ready to change his behavior either. But, we remained friends. I'd call just to check on him and really so that he'd know we'd always be friends and hopefully so he'd know that the way back home wasn't as hard or far as maybe he thought.
Fast forward to Tuesday morning. C.W. called me. Again, I could tell something was different. He told me that nothing bad had happened, but that he wanted to come home to God. He was miserable. He had money, toys, and relationships, but he wasn't happy. And he knew the answer. It was God. We got together Thursday night. We ate, laughed, shot some pool, and most importantly we talked. We talked about coming home to God. We talked about how God had never left C.W. We talked about how God has been drawing him to Himself and that He obviously has great plans for C.W. Coming home is as simple as a humble admission and asking and turning around to find Jesus right there with arms open wide. That's what C.W. found this week.
We also talked about the difference between religion and a relationship. Religion says clean yourself up first. Religion says Christians don't make mistakes and when they do, there's no room for you in the church. Christianity, however, is a relational journey. It's a journey of becoming, becoming more and more what God already sees. You see, in a way, we're all hypocrites. None of us are perfect. We're simply Christ followers. We all make mistakes. He will make them again. I do and will too. But by His grace, God sees Jesus when He looks at me and C.W. And because of that, I WANT to serve Him, I WANT to follow Him. In fact, and this is so awesome, He even gives me the power to make those changes!
Well, C.W. is making some changes this week, some big, some small, but all miraculous with the power of God. He's coming to church tomorrow. Needless to say, I am majorly JACKED! I know what he'll find at Coastal - love, acceptance, truth, relationships, and LIFE! You know what I found this week? God's timing is not usually mine. Regardless of what I see, He is always drawing people to Himself. Prayer works. Never give up on people. Something special IS happening here at Coastal. A renewed friendship. See you tomorrow!
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