To Find the One

It was a privilege to have Randy Nabors be our guest at City Pres to lead our retreat and preach, and boy did he preach. I was deeply blessed and convicted by his messages to our church. “What is greatness?”, he led with on Sunday. In Matthew 1, Jesus' disciples ask him who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven, and Jesus responds with the answer: children. Jesus says that we must become like them, and we must welcome and care for them as if they were Christ. Randy also spoke on the Parable of the Lost Sheep, of how God would leave all of the non-wanderers, just to find and seek out ONE child who is void of Him.

As I reflect on what I heard Sunday, there was a specific part of the sermon that absolutely wrecked my heart. Randy was speaking about how when he was a child he did not know Christ, until someone began to pick him up and drive him to Sunday school and church events. He then when on to speak passionately about how thankful he was for the Lord working through that individual to save him. He just kept repeating “I am thankful that Jesus found me, I am so thankful”. I was a pile of mascara tears at that point because I related greatly to that deep thankfulness.

 I was not raised in a Christian home. I was not exposed to the Gospel until I was thirteen. Life before Jesus was absolutely dull, extremely difficult, and meaningless. I always think of what an absolute mess I would be if Jesus had not found me. Jesus came and found me through my big brother’s friend Amadeus. He was a quirky, funny drama student at my brother’s high school, when I remember him I think of  1) His beard, because he was the only sophomore with a full on beard, and 2) green shamrocks because I feel like he had them on everything he owned.  My brother had made friends with him through our cousin, Aaron. Amadeus and his family attended church regularly at church close by our schools, and invited my brother to youth group. Of course I had to tag along with my big brother to this new cool place, and the rest is history. All because a youth group minister had prayed and shared with his students to love and invite outside friends, my life is forever changed, and I am immensely thankful.

I was a child who did not know or experience the “normalcy” of marriage and family values, rather I experienced some chaotic and unfriendly times. There was a time in my life where I was a child who lived in the international district of Albuquerque. I was made very emotional and convicted by Randy’s message to because of this. There are a ton of children in our church’s neighborhood who do not know what it is like to have their basic needs provided for, who do not know what it is like to have a functional and happy home, and are completely uncertain of their future, but I am certain that Jesus loves them and wants us to receive these children in His name, so that we can show them the ultimate love and care and steward them into the family of God.

~ Carly Haynes