It was in the summer of 2001 that a very godly woman brought me to a life-changing realization about truth, and where to find it.
Here’s the scoop.
I’d joined the choir in the church I was attending in those days. The director put me in the tenor section with the guys; rightfully so, since I have a range of about five notes and they’re all below middle C.
Usually, we stuck to fellowshipping in our own sections. But one evening during practice, I somehow found myself chatting with our star soprano, a beautiful little redhead named Gail. Still a baby Christian in those days, I asked her a silly question or two or three about the faith. Can’t remember what those queries were, but she suggested we have coffee together to discuss them.
I will never forget sitting in a booth in Baker’s Square with this woman, lobbing very tough questions at her. At least I thought they were tough, perhaps even unanswerable.
But Gail didn’t hesitate. She responded to every query by flipping to a new section in her Bible, reading me a verse or two, explaining it when it wasn’t quite obvious to a novice, and showing me additional passages whenever necessary.
I was blown away. Using only her Bible, she had answered all the questions I’d brought to the table that morning. We met several more times in the weeks that followed. Each time I brought her a slew of challenging new questions. And each time, she found the answer to every last one in the pages of her Bible.
Not that every answer incorporated the specific details that had prompted my questions, or outlined a simple course of action. For instance, I asked Gail if I should continue seeing atheist friends who were mocking my newfound faith. She showed me what the Bible said about loving our enemies, sharing the gospel and shining our lights for God’s glory. She also showed me its warnings about, for instance, what bad company can do to good habits and how we are to keep ourselves unspotted from the world.
So unlike the Magic 8 Balls of our childhoods, the Bible’s response isn’t always a simple “yes” or “no.” But as this godly woman demonstrated for me in those early days of my walk with Jesus, there’s not an issue in our lives that the Bible doesn’t address for anyone with ears to hear and a heart to obey.
I lost touch with Gail years ago. But I look forward to seeing her again one happy day in heaven, and to thanking her for her life-changing investment in me. The Lord used her to open my eyes to His word. And I will be forever grateful.
Here’s the scoop.
I’d joined the choir in the church I was attending in those days. The director put me in the tenor section with the guys; rightfully so, since I have a range of about five notes and they’re all below middle C.
Usually, we stuck to fellowshipping in our own sections. But one evening during practice, I somehow found myself chatting with our star soprano, a beautiful little redhead named Gail. Still a baby Christian in those days, I asked her a silly question or two or three about the faith. Can’t remember what those queries were, but she suggested we have coffee together to discuss them.
I will never forget sitting in a booth in Baker’s Square with this woman, lobbing very tough questions at her. At least I thought they were tough, perhaps even unanswerable.
But Gail didn’t hesitate. She responded to every query by flipping to a new section in her Bible, reading me a verse or two, explaining it when it wasn’t quite obvious to a novice, and showing me additional passages whenever necessary.
I was blown away. Using only her Bible, she had answered all the questions I’d brought to the table that morning. We met several more times in the weeks that followed. Each time I brought her a slew of challenging new questions. And each time, she found the answer to every last one in the pages of her Bible.
Not that every answer incorporated the specific details that had prompted my questions, or outlined a simple course of action. For instance, I asked Gail if I should continue seeing atheist friends who were mocking my newfound faith. She showed me what the Bible said about loving our enemies, sharing the gospel and shining our lights for God’s glory. She also showed me its warnings about, for instance, what bad company can do to good habits and how we are to keep ourselves unspotted from the world.
So unlike the Magic 8 Balls of our childhoods, the Bible’s response isn’t always a simple “yes” or “no.” But as this godly woman demonstrated for me in those early days of my walk with Jesus, there’s not an issue in our lives that the Bible doesn’t address for anyone with ears to hear and a heart to obey.
I lost touch with Gail years ago. But I look forward to seeing her again one happy day in heaven, and to thanking her for her life-changing investment in me. The Lord used her to open my eyes to His word. And I will be forever grateful.
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