I will tell you another true story. Somewhere around 45 years ago I was a strong, young Logger running up and down the steep ridges of the Elliot State Forest near Lakeside, Oregon. In a miraculous burst of events our entire family, father, mother, two sisters, a brother and myself had come to faith in Christ, and our world turned right-side up! We were brand-new baby Christians that had barely cracked a Bible, but we believed that Jesus loved and died for us, even in McKinley, Oregon! We hadn't even started attending Church yet, but we rejoiced with the little but powerful faith we had as we gathered 'round Mom's table with our coffee cups daily to talk about Jesus.
My brother, my Mom and myself were the first to come, but Dad dug in his heels. He watched us talk about Jesus and shook his head in disgust, sometimes cussing as he left the room shaking his head. But we were a very close family, and we kept bugging Dad.
One evening we were in Mom's kitchen as Dad came home from work. We watched as he came up the sidewalk with his lunch pail, sweaty and covered with sawdust and grease as usual. Opening the front door he walked past us to the kitchen sink and began to wash his grimy hands. But something was different . .
"Dad . . what happened to you today?" I asked, walking to the sink behind him. But he didn't answer. I know this might sound silly, but somehow, without any external sign or comment I knew that Dad was different. "What happened today Dad?" I repeated. Silence. Then he turned to face us . . but his face was different.
"I just told the Lord I give in" he said.
Well, that crowded little kitchen shook as we leaped with joy, laughing and crying and hugging Dad and each other. It was as if Jesus had walked into our lives without permission and abruptly changed our plans. We had pastors up the road, but they hadn't come. We had preachers as relatives but they didn't come either. And I don't blame them. We were an obnoxious, thieving, dope-smoking, porn-watching bunch of outlaw newcomers from Eastern Washington. But that didn't deter Jesus, who came personally to the Blum house and infected us with the terminal Jesus Virus that soon spread to everyone we came into contact with. God had not picked the "brightest and the best" or the "most qualified" but true to His word in 1 Corinthians 1:27 He had chosen the "base things of the world, and things which are despised". If you are a wicked loser Jesus loves you and wants you to trust Him to save you and change your life!
From the other logger crews who quickly named us the "God Squad" to my druggy/drunken music buddies, the Gospel got on everyone around us. And being a musical family our repertoire changed, and the Blum Family began to travel and sing the Gospel.
That was many years ago, but I still remember that uncanny knowing that Dad was fundamentally transformed as he faced away from me at that sink. I like to think that Jesus was so tickled and happy that He couldn't wait to tell somebody, and so told me! O how good and gracious God is! How great and unfathomable is His love for us! And we ain't seen nothin' yet!
Isn't He wonderful??
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