Hanging at the Well
A Testimony to God's Grace
Introduction
In December 2006, a young missionary Peggy and I have known since he was a toddler asked if I had ever had a “crisis of faith” in which I have wrestled with the existence of God. His question started me thinking about my life in Christ. I sat down and began listing all the miraculous “happenings” during my life – from childhood to the present. I have decided to write them in a series of short chapters as a testimony to God’s grace as I have experienced it.
You might wonder about the title “Hanging at the Well.” It comes from what I have chosen to be a word picture to describe what I believe God has called me to do. After reading the book, The Blessing I decided to write a blessing for our children, Peggy and my parents. After choosing word pictures for each person, Peggy asked me what I would choose to describe myself. Without thinking, I said, “a bucket hanging from a well.” To me it was perfect. God’s Word is the well containing a message for the thirsty (Isaiah 55:1-3) and Jesus is the Living Water (John 4:10). My calling is to be a bucket to go down into the well and deliver the Living Water to those who come to me for preaching, teaching or counsel. To deliver anything else would to be like offering stagnate water. After choosing a bucket as a work picture, I found Isaiah 12:3 to be a theme verse for my life:
“With joy, draw from the well of salvation.”
I have had my share of doubts and questions over the years, but I don’t believe that I have ever had a session where I doubted God’s existence for more than a few moments. When I recount the stories of God’s hand on my life, it is obvious He has had to work overtime to bring me to where I am, and I love Him for that. I have learned that when you drink for God’s well and you hang close by, miracles do happen. The following stories are only the ones that I am aware of. I am convinced that there has been much more going on behind the scenes of which I will never know unless God has a viewing room in heaven where He will allow me to sit down and watch the tapes. As I sit there I will be saying, “I remember that, but I did not realize . . .” or, “I never knew that was happening.” Each incident will give me one more reason to fall before His throne in amazement of the incredible love of which I have been a benefactor.
Proceed to Chapter 1