The taken and the left

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Brakelite

Well-Known Member
Feb 6, 2020
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Melbourne
brakelite.wordpress.com
Faith
Christian
Country
Australia
Gender
Male
In 1976 I received the Lord as my Saviour. I visited a few churches before settling for a vibrant young AOG church in the city. This was not my hometown. I had transferred there 12 months previously from across the other side on the country. This was well before cell phones texts, the only means of communication being either phone or snail mail. I didn't have a phone. And I didn't write often, so lost touch with all former friends except for my mum. I was 23 at the time.
A friend who witnessed to me a month previous to my conversion, came up to me one day, apologising for her forwardness, and stated she believed God was telling her to tell me that i was to go back home in order to witness to my new found faith. I replied somewhat dubiously, but promised to pray about it, which I did, asking God for confirmation from another source. A week later the church was holding an evangelistic series, with meetings running every night for the week. Being a new Christian I revelled in those meetings and my faith deepened.
On the last night, the visiting preacher was about to begin his address, and paused, saying he believed there was someone in the congregation (of 350odd, so there may be several he was referring to) that were living away from home, had recently received Christ, and God was calling them home. I was seriously convicted that I was being singled out. This was a Sunday night. That evening at home I wrote a resignation letter for my work, effective the following Thursday, with Good Friday following with Easter weekend. I then informed the pastor who had some very serious doubts about a brand new Christian being called away so soon. I remained utterly convinced. My prayers included a request for work of course. I was fully convinced that if God was doing the sending, He would also do the providing. I even had a specific job in mind, at a specific place. The same place where I had previously worked 13 months previously, but a different job. I had told no-one I was leaving except for a very few, and no one I was coming.
I arrived at my mother's doorstep in the evening of Good Friday. She was elated to see me, but horrified I had resigned from a very good job on the whim of what she later described as a cult. Even more horrified that I needed a place to stay. She was a widow, enjoying her solitude, in a small flat. She did not believe my assertions that God would supply a job. I checked the local paper for situations vacant the next day, Saturday. The exact job I asked for was advertised. The next working day was Tuesday, and I rocked up to the establishment that morning to announce my homecoming as my fiormer boss was leaving. We chatted briefly, me explaining why I was there and he asked me when I would like to start. I started the next day. Mum didn't know what to think.
God has never let me down since. Miracle? Intervention? I don't care what you call it. God was faithful.