Recently an old friendship was renewed by email. I asked my dear brother in Christ for some recollections of the times when we met and what has happened since. Kerry writes,
I spent my early years growing up in a home with values where going to Sunday school and church every week was important. I was baptised, raised, and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. I believed that as long as I was a good person by society's standards, and believed in Jesus, that when I died, I would go to heaven.
My mom died when I was eleven years old and I gradually drifted away from the beliefs i was taught. God seemed unimportant to any part of my daily life. I had more freedom and time to explore my own way of finding meaning in life.
After reading Mark Twain's "Letters From The Earth," I decided Christianity was a joke and quit believing in any religion or God. In high school I was pretty much a loner and did everything my own way as much as possible. Biology and chemistry classes got me thinking about how complex and structured everything seemed to be, and I began my own search for truth about if there ever was a real God. I was sure that whatever the truth was - that it had nothing to do with Jesus.
I had read about how Timothy Leary and others had experienced wonderful religious insights from taking LSD. This seemed like a good route to explore at the time. About this same time, my High School had a guest speaker, a scientist - Lambert Dolphin - come and talk to the entire school about his "search for God and experience with LSD." (This was 1969) He told us about his drug experience, and search for truth, and how he had eventually become a Christian. I was very skeptical, but made sure I got to ask this man why he was so sure that Jesus was the truth, and not any other religion. I don't remember what he told me, but it at least gave me a reason to consider the possibility that Jesus Christ was the one true living God.
I wrote to Lambet with some more questions and recived a letter, some pamphlets, and a book, "Your God Is Too Small" by J. B. Phillips. The book attempted to explain some shortsighted concepts about what God was like and why Jesus Christ must be the real thing. I had researched other religions and ideas about God too, but this was the first time Christianity seemed to make any real sense - even though I was hoping it wouldn't!
I had some friends who were into drugs and I started getting high. I enjoyed getting high but kept thinking 'What is the truth about God?' It kept growing on my mind until I reached the point where I decided to accept Jesus Christ as God by faith. As soon as I did that - I knew He was/IS the true living God.
One week later a friend of mine got busted for drugs and decided to run away from home before he had to go to court. He and another friend were going to California. I decided to join them just for fun. We all got busted by the Arizona state police about thirty miles from the California state line. For some reason, the cops arrested my friends and turned me loose. Our plan had been to go to an apartment of someone my friends knew, but I had never met. I was glad not to go to jail, but didn't know what to do. I prayed and thought maybe I should try to go to Lambert's house. I knew he lived in California and had invited everyone at my high school to visit him! So I started hitch hiking towards Palo Alto, where Lambert lived. I got busted in California for cerfew violation and spent three days in jail, but then was released and assigned to a probation officer who made sure I got on a bus to Palo Alto. I fianally arrived at Lambert's home and spent a few weeks there in the company of some loving Christians. Lambert was away on a business trip the whole time I was there, but it was evident that he was not the only person whose life had been changed by Christ!
After I returned home, I continued getting high with my friends for a while. Somehow, I managed to survive through some crazy times and eventually got involved with some local Christians. I'm not quite sure exactly when I finally accepted Jesus Christ as my savior and Lord. I only know that it has made all the difference in my life. Through the years I've come to realize and appreciate the wonderful gift of God's love and grace through Jesus Christ. Through faith, I've found Jesus Christ to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Life - not often my way, not now lived perfectly, but Life full of mercy and Goodness - Life with daily opportunity to experience freedom to love and be loved as it's meant to be.
Since then---
Got married at the young age of 21...been married 23 years now and still contented with that choice - at least most of the time! I have worked at various tech positions in a hospital for 15 yrs and now repair surgical instruments for the past 9 yrs. My intrests / hobbies I like to read and listen to music - now that my 2 kids are almost grown and ready to leave home, I'm thinking about learning to play a musical instrument-- the mandolin maybe?
Having long been interested in exploring ideas - like where our thoughts come from - and what motivates other people for living - I've been trying to learn what life is all about and how best to live it.
There are so many sources of information to base one's choices on. What is the truth?
I have come to believe what the Bible teaches regarding sin, faith, grace, an abundant - eternal life, hope and love.
WHY? -
...because of desire and contentment. It seems to me that everyone wants to fulfill their desires and remain in a state of contentment. This seems to be the ultimate goal of everyone's life.
I tried many ways to find fulfillment and remain contented - and every time I thought I was content - something else stirred me up and I would try to fill that desire so I could again be content - and any time I felt content for long - I'd find that I would get restless for some kind of change. (kind of a "Catch 22" situation).
I think the reason that no one can ever quite achieve a long lasting balance between their desires and permanant contentment is because of what the Bible calls sin - and there's something about the infinite, the eternal, that is planted within us, that says there is always something more.
It is my belief that the only true path - the only way to find balance between ones' desires and being content - is through simple, moment by moment, faith in the accomplished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrected life.
Grace is the balance, available to all - abundant and eternal life begins and grows by the hope of perfection in Christ for anyone who will recive it - and perfect love, which casts out all fear, is the greatest thing that will remain.
The first recorded words of Jesus were he "must be about my Father's business." (Luke 2: 49 )
His mission was to "seek and save the lost." (Matthew 18: 11), and the last words Jesus spoke before His death on the cross "It is finished." ( John 19: 30).
He came on business - found me lost - and paid the ultimate price to give me righteousness before God.
I know that I don't appear righteous before anyone else - just ask my wife, kids, or anyone that knows anything about me, and they will easily verify the fact that I appear nowhere near perfect or righteous! - and yet, by faith in Christ I am now righteous before God! This is the grace of God that gives me a balance for living, lasting peace, and joy!
The peace I now have with God comes by accepting Jesus Christ as my savior and Lord - and this is only the beginning...quoting pastor Ray Stedman:
" ...in Christ... harmony and unity will be restored to the universe . The second law of thermodynamics which insists upon decay and loss, will be reversed, and things will get better and better, and greater and greater, and richer and richer, and higher and higher, to an infinity beyond our comprehension." (from Ray Stedman's The Secrets of God).
An infinite God, who has demonstrated his love by giving the world His Son, so that by faith, anyone can begin living eternal life and sharing that love right now - that is the answer to being permanantly content and still desiring more ...
Thanks for your time in reading this and feel free to e-mail me with any comments or questions.
My spiritual progress has been up and down through the years - my faith and knowledge in the Lord have increased and He has kept me growing in grace and sometimes I've been used to be a blessing to others in various ways - that's about it! I not trying to be humble - there's just not much else to add!
Feel free to write Kerry and introduce yourself. His wife is Judy and they have a son, John, 20, and a daughter Amy, 18. There home is in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
Kerry Springer (KBSpring@aol.com)