What amazing things we heard yesterday morning! To hear a man, once filled with the deepest loathing for himself and others, say very simply and quietly in peace, "My name is Brian ..." was tremendous! What a work of God's grace! Whenever you've spent decades telling yourself that you and other human beings are worth absolutely NOTHING, and acting in a self-destructive fashion that lines up with what you've told yourself, to stand before a group of 300+ people and speak as Brian did yesterday ... WOW! What can you say?!
Can you imagine spending 4 months locked in an 8'x10' "box" (as Brian described his prison cell), with no human contact? One mom told me afterward that her daughter asked, "Mom, how big is that?" to which she replied, "Honey, our living room rug is 8'X10'." If you have such a sized rug at home, take a look at it later and try to imagine staying inside the boundaries of that rug for 4 months without seeing or hearing another human being, without being able to see anything beyond those limits.
WHY, after all Brian has experienced and endured, is he not raging with bitterness and wrath today? Because, as he said yesterday, lying in that box with his Bible on his chest, he cried out in the night to God for mercy -- and our Lord Jesus delivered!
"To GOD be the glory, GREAT things he has done!"
Thank you, Brian, for sharing your story with us. You testified clearly to God's power and grace, conveying an extremely credible message of hope. And the One who wrote your story and saved you in it was glorified!
Bless you, dear brother!
Greg
God is good and I glad I worship at a church that Loves God, Loves People, and Serves the World...
Posted by: Walt Kean | August 24, 2009 at 12:47 PM