Chasing God Until He Caught Me: Chapter Nine - Messengers

The Compelling Story of God's Relentless Pursuit To Rescue One Lost Soul

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Photo by Raul Petri on Unsplash

In the Fall semester of 1980 Ronna and I rented a house in nearby Springfield.

As the owner was showing us the house, his first question was, “Are you two married?”

Puzzled, I answered, “No sir. We’ve only been together for a few weeks.”

His next statement had a profound effect on me.

“Well, normally I would not rent a property to a couple who were living together, but not married because, as a Christian, I believe it’s morally wrong.

“Though I recognize that none of us are without sin, I try to live in a way that is consistent with what the Bible says.”

He said that, for our sakes, he did not want to be one who facilitated us in this lifestyle and suggested that we demonstrate our commitment to one another by getting married.

I was completely shocked by this statement.

First, I thought I was a Christian. After all, I had grown up going to church.

Second, I had never heard anything like this growing up.

As a matter of fact, I had known many who faithfully attended church and openly lived together. No one said anything about it.

Ronna didn’t say anything, but I knew she was angry. She did a good job of holding it in check since we really wanted the house.

Interestingly, the landlord sort of changed his tune.

I guess he must have had a soft spot for children because when he heard Ronna's two little girls say how much they liked the house, he said that he would let us rent it because the kids needed a home.

As we were signing the rental agreement, he asked, “Do either of you have a Bible?” Given our previous conversation, I was not surprised by this.

I told him I had the one I used in my class at the college.

Then he pulled several little New Testaments out of his briefcase and gave each of us one.

“I hope you will read these”, he said. “They may be just what you need one day.”

This intrigued me greatly, but I'm pretty sure Ronna threw hers away.

We ended up not being in that house very long. About six months later we found one closer to the school.

By that time, I was on an accelerated quest for the truth, wherever that would lead. I was becoming more and more drawn toward the idea that God was real and that He wanted us to actually know and experience Him.

“God, I know you’re there”, I would say in my mind. “I just don’t understand what I’m supposed to do.”

Ronna, on the other hand, was drifting more toward living a “free” lifestyle. Not really even a spiritual pursuit. More of a “if it feels good, do it”.

We were becoming more incompatible each day we were together.

I didn’t blame her for that. At one time, that was me as well.

It was just that I was so tired of being stoned most of the time and the constant fights we were having as we drifted apart in our philosophical beliefs.

Finally, it came to a head one night.

While we were in the middle of an argument, I suddenly looked up at her and said, “I’m going home.”

“What do you mean”, she asked.

“I’m going back to South Carolina.”

It was not said in anger or malice, just a statement of fact. The peace that came over me when I declared that, like a heavy weight was being lifted off my shoulders, was profound.

It was as much of a shock to me as it was to her because up until that moment, I had never even considered it. Also, my closest cousin was here. It meant I would be leaving her as well.

All I can say is that God put those words in my mouth. And in my heart.

“When do you plan to go?”, Ronna asked.

“As soon as I could get rid of my stuff,” I said.

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Ronna took what she wanted, which didn’t turn out to be much.

Then the very next weekend, I had a yard sale and either sold or gave away almost everything I owned.

Most of it was what I called “my anchor” - things I had accumulated in different countries while in the Navy.

The only things I kept were some clothes, a guitar, and my Peugeot 10-speed bicycle.

It was during this yard sale that another significant incident happened that pulled me toward God, and in particular, Jesus.

Later in the day when just about everything was gone, a man stopped by, I thought to see what was left.

“Can I ask you a question?", he said.

“Sure. What’s up.”

“Why do you have this book?” He held up a book called Navajo Witchcraft. “I was here earlier and saw it and had to come back and talk to you about it. The Navajos practiced a form of witchcraft, you know. It’s very dangerous spiritually”, he said.

I thought it was kind of odd, but I told him that it was used as a textbook in an Anthropology class I had taken.

“Yes, the book talked about that”, I said.

It was then that this man began telling me about his life as a drug dealer.

“When I was released from prison, I had to find work to feed my family. No one wanted to believe that I had changed, so I wasn’t able to find employment.

“I had access to a small building on highway 99 near Junction City just North of town, so with what little I had saved, I began getting furniture from yard sales and reselling it in my shop.

“It doesn’t bring in a lot, but with my wife also working, we get by.”

I just looked at him, waiting for where this was going.

“I mentioned I had changed in Prison. I was convicted for drug dealing and sentenced to three years.

“During that time, I saw how some of the hardened prisoners lived and knew that is not how I wanted my life to end up. I also didn’t want my kids to end up like me.

“I had heard that there was a pastor from a local church who held weekly Bible Studies, so I attended the very next one.”

“This is amazing”, I said. “Maybe you can tell me what has been happening to me inside.”

“Well, it wasn’t too long before that pastor asked us if we wanted to change.

“He said that because of sin, we have a problem being reconciled with God. But, there was someone who had paid the debt we owed in full. Jesus Christ, God’s own son.

“He said that if we believed that and accepted his payment on our behalf, we would be saved. From that moment, I knew that I have finally found the truth.”

I remembered Billy Graham talking about “being saved”, but I did not understand what it meant. But the part about finding and understanding the truth really got my attention.

This was my own pursuit as well and here was someone who claimed to have found it. And he tied it all to Jesus.

Did God send this man to me?

I was standing at the door that I didn’t have the key to unlock it.

“I don’t understand much of what you just told me,” I said. “But, I am truly seeking the truth.”

Instead of showing me how I could find the truth, He just said, “Well, you just keep searching. God will reveal himself when you are ready.”

And then he left.

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The other interesting note was that after I had made my decision to head back to South Carolina, my relationship with Ronna improved dramatically. I guess the pressure was off to try and “make things work” so we actually enjoyed our remaining time together, which was one more week.

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