IT ALL JUST CLICKED !!

As I look back to the early years of working in construction, I can't help but reflect on the frustrations I had on learning the technics on being a plasterer. First of all, I am left-handed! Not very many left-handed plasterers out there, and my mentor was right-handed. Plus I had a very difficult time in keeping the mud to stay on the wall or ceiling and not fall to the ground. Finally, after much perserverance, It All Just Clicked! My mentor was a middle-aged alcoholic. His name was Johnny Martinez. Johnny was a good friend, patient with a slow learner as myself. Johnny used to have nightmares of killing people as a soldier in the Korean War. He hid all his hurt behind the bottle. He was always too drunk to get on the scaffolding, so he would have me do the tops while he did the bottoms, so his feet would be on solid ground. Unbelievably, he was still one of the best plasterers I had ever met. He got the work done! One day a side-job just happened to come along. Johnny, Rick (our mix man), and I decided to do this little window patch. At first I thought, just forget it. It's too small of a job and will be more trouble than worth. We stopped by that little job each night after work for a half hour or so until we had it completed. Since the money we got from it was minimal, I suggested we three go out and get a real nice meal and just relax. We had each been used to working very hard, eating as bachelors (fast food ), so this would be quite a treat. Well, we went to "The Velvet Turtle", a very nice restaurant, and had a 7 course dinner. The whole experience was great and very memorable! First time I ever had cold soup! (Cucumber Gazpacho Soup). Earlier in the month, before that dinner, God spoke to my heart and said to get a" Living Bible Translation" Bible, write something in it, sign it, and hold onto it to give to Johnny when He would tell me at a later date. I did just that! It was all God that night! After dinner, and after Rick had gone home, I talked and prayed with Johnny for an hour and a half in the parking lot. I led him in the plan of salvation, one verse at a time.......For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God........Therefore there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.....For by grace you are saved thru faith (not of works).......And so on........And I talked about God's love for him and how He sent His Son Jesus to die for him......Johnny had not felt God's love, mainly because he was dwelling on the past and all his sins. Then, It All Just Clicked! He got it. He asked Jesus to forgive him for all his sins and to come into his heart that night! We cried together and he was filled with God's love. I gave him his new Bible. Oh what a blessing to lead someone to the Lord!! God used this peculiar setting to arrange a night of destiny with Johnny! Johnny went home to be with the Lord a few years later. His liver just gave out after all those years of abuse. My dad was blessed to be by his hospital bedside praying with him shortly before he passed. So don't pass up opportunities to speak God's Word into peoples lives. The Jesus they see in you may be the only Jesus they ever get to see and experience.