Can These Bones Live? - Part 3

About a year had passed since my awakened interest in the Bible and finding a Sabbath keeping church. My interest had waned and I returned to my usual lifestyle of music, and going out to clubs dancing and drinking drinking, smoking and partying with friends.  I had eventually moved into a one bedroom flat from my mum’s home, so started to live on my own again.  I was busily getting on with my life. One day after leaving work I visited my mother. My siblings were at home, but my mother wasn’t.  She arrived shortly after and had a young man with her. She introduced him as a new volunteer at the community centre for the black community where she managed.  I met a man at a dance who would later become the father of my only child. My initial response to him was strong dislike because of his boastful attitude of over-confidence. He drove around in a BMW attracting the women with his car, always smartly dressed, giving the impression of wealth when he wasn’t even employed. I avoided him most of the time, but we had our first contact at a party and while under the influence of alcohol started what would become a on-off casual relationship.

He was of small build and a very friendly and witty person, but I silently watched him with suspicion as I felt uncomfortable in his presence.  I soon realised he was a Christian of the Seventh Day Adventist Church which  I had never heard of before - he was a Sabbath keeper. I understood why I felt uncomfortable. My experience of Christians was that they were fickle and insincere people so I was a little cool in my interaction with him. I also learnt that he was from another County and had come to be involved in evangelistic work to set up a new church group locally.

I never saw the young man again until one day he came to my work place for an interview as a social worker.  I felt my heart sink as I saw him and I hoped he wouldn’t get the job.  Unfortunately for me, he did get the job and I was to have some very unpleasant times ahead. He used to come into the general admin office where I worked trying to make conversation and putting himself on display with his gregarious personality cracking jokes, but I wasn’t amused, yet he persisted to seek my attention. He eventually bought a house near where I lived.  I became even more annoyed when he kept offering me lifts to and from work, but I never accepted until eventually one day he offered me a lift home again and I accepted reluctantly. After this, I occasionally accepted his lift offers but remained detached in my interactions with him to discourage any friendship developing.  We did develop a platonic friendship and I would occasionally engage in discussions on religious topics as he would share some interesting views while I travelled with him.

One day a close female friend asked if I knew anyone who could give her some advice regarding some personal issues, preferably a Christian person.  I immediately thought of my colleague who I was growing to understand a little better and beginning to value his religious values and views. I asked him if he could assist my friend and he agreed. We both went to visit my friend, and I sat and listened to the discussion. The advice my colleague gave her was so intelligent and relevant that I was impressed, particularly as he spoke from a Christian perspective. I didn’t think Christians could be so open-minded and understanding about the needs and problems of non-Christians without being condemning. This gave me confidence to ask questions that were of importance to me, and we had a very stimulating discussion which increased my thirst for more information. After we left my friend, during the journey home I continued to ask questions about the Bible and about Christianity and learnt that my colleague went to a Sabbath keeping Church and this heightened my interest even more as I had never heard of this Church. I was so I treasured by the information he shared that I kept him talking from 10 pm until midnight.

I now considered my colleague as a friend so the following morning when he gave me a lift to work as usual - and as we continued the conversation we started the previous night, he asked me if I would like to have Bible studies and I immediately said “yes”. I think I shocked myself when I agreed so quickly, I later learnt from my friend that he was also surprised that I agreed so readily. We arranged my first Bible study at my home after work that day and we had a very short study on Romans 8:1 then he prayed and asked me to pray also. Without pre-planning this I found myself asking for forgiveness of my sins and asking for salvation. I opened my eyes and I felt a strange sensation come over me. It was as if I was a new person. As though a new life had started and I couldn’t go back. A new pathway of life was opened up before me and I decided to take the next step forward so I accepted the invitation to go to church with my new friend a few weeks later.  It was a small congregation and they met on Saturdays. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. It was a great feeling to know  I had found a Church which kept the 7th day Sabbath. My confidence in the Bible increased from that experience because it was in the Bible that I first learnt about the true Sabbath.