She was a really funny, energetic girl. She had been married for several years and had two little girls. Her and her husband started to come to Forefront and were instantly excited.
Then she dropped the B-bomb. Yep, you guessed it, she was a bisexual. She slept with other women and her husband slept with other men. Their agreement was that they wouldn't get involved with someone of a different sex; but the same sex was fine.
What in the world, God? How do I help her? Why do you want me to get involved? What can I possibly do? What do I say? Are you sure I'm the right person for this job? OK fine, I'll do it, but you're going to have to do it for me.
We met every week for months. I would go to her apartment and sit with her and we'd talk. She was beginning to understand the whole Christian thing. She understood that her current situation wasn't what God had intended for marriage. She needed help living it out. She wanted to be free; to have a healthy marriage...she just didn't know how.
I became her accountability partner. I prayed for her and asked her the hard questions about her behavior the previous week. I talked to her. I listened. I drove by the gay bar to see if her car was there (she told me that if her car was there that I was to come inside and pull her out).
I'm glad that I listened to God and jumped into this messy situation. Was I qualified? No. Did I have all the right answers? No. Was I scared out of my mind. Yes. Did I follow God into the darkness? Yes. Do I regret being used by God in this situation? No way.
Are you available to God? Are you willing to do things you don't want to do? Are you willing to get out of your comfort zone? Chances are good that at some point in your ministry God is going to ask you to do something that will make you extremely uncomfortable. Will you do it? Will you follow God into the dark, messy chaos of people's lives?
My friend is in Bible College now. She's passionate for God. Do you think it was worth it?
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Friday, February 29, 2008
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2 comments:
I have been working my way through Romans again. It is not one of my favorite books in the NT but it certainly has great insights into the Gospel. I say that as background because each time I gear up to go through the book of Romans (about every 2 years), I have a subtle smile of anticipation in my soul because of Jen.
I met Jen and her husband at the church where they served just before starting Forefront. Both of them are special people for different reasons all stemming from God's love and goodness. But getting back to Romans, it was not uncommon to hear Jen say, "May it never be!" (She apparently was impressed with Paul's persistent use of that expression when answering rhetorical questions.)
So when I read Romans I always smile and think of Jen and "May it never be!" I was delighted to find out that she has a blog and even more thrilled to learn that she continues to become an even more faithful and beautiful woman in her service to the King.
Thank you for your example,
-andrew (AKA "jack") r.
Holy Cow, it's Jack (or do you go by Andrew now??)! What a blast from the past! Thanks so much for your encouragment. I had totally forgotten about the "May it never be!", but Vince reminded me!!! I'm such a goofball!!!!
Tell Cindy I said, "HI." I hope you are doing great.
Jen
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