Saturday March 3, 2007

 

 

Friday

 

We were awakened early by the alarm so we could be ready to leave the TFC International Office by 7:00 AM.

 

It was a rainy and sometimes foggy drive.

 

This time I was following the chapel, so Cerwin had a way home.

 

Our destination was the Holiday Inn near Grantville, PA, for a Baptist Convention – Empower 2007 – where Bunny O’Hare and Howard Moses were representing TFC.

 

By the time the men figured out how to get the rig into the parking lot and located a spot approved by the manager of the Inn, the rain had stopped, making it nice for Cerwin and Howard to set up the steps.

 

From there we took I-81 south to the next exit to keep a breakfast appointment with Chaplain David Roberts at the Harbor Light Chapel, Harrisburg, PA. 

As we were walking from the chapel to the restaurant, a driver entered the truck stop and blew his horn at us.  As Scott entered the restaurant, I noticed him looking toward our table, and figured he was the driver who just blew his horn at us – and motioned for him to sit down.  (Every driver recognizes Chaplain David’s hat!)

 

Driver Scott and Chaplain David

We were thrilled with God’s guidance and timing – that we would be there the same time as Scott, a driver who stopped in with Chaplain David just before Christmas, and was back (for just one hour) to pick up some Christian tapes and talk with David.

~~~

His testimony reminded me of the following verses:  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.  I Corinthians 3:7-9 KJV

You will understand why I thought of these verses as you notice the bold/underlined words.

~~~

He has an awesome testimony of God’s guidance.  Four months ago, when he was at the end of his rope, and staying in a motel, he picked up a Gideon Bible and took it with him.  He calls it his miracle book.  A short time later he met a chaplain from Truck Stop Ministries (a sister ministry to truck drivers) where the chaplain led him to the Lord.  He had no idea how to walk with God, and a few days later ended up in a truck stop where all his vices were available – women, drugs, and alcohol. 

In an effort to resist temptation, he walked across the street to a small church where they “happened” to be holding a seminar for people who were dealing with divorce – which is where he was.  His wife left him a few weeks earlier.

Another week or two later when he was looking for a church, he walked into a very large church, where someone asked if they can help him, he said, “Yes, I need help with alcoholism.”  After the service, they put him in touch with AA.  He had been drinking since the age of 12.

Then, just before Christmas he came to the TFC Chapel at Harrisburg, and met Chaplain David.  The previous two months were a learning experience for Scott.  He didn’t understand that you can’t walk with the Lord and continue in sin.  On this particular night he and David discussed sexual sin and Scott began to understand that he could not continue in a relationship with the woman who was in his truck.

Today he came back to tell David that he was clean from drugs and alcohol, and the woman was no longer living in his truck.  One of the things that thrilled us was his hunger for Truth.  He said he can hardly wait to get to the next chapel to get Christian cassette tapes.

Pray for Scott

 

Bob and Chaplain David

Scott had to get on the road to make his delivery, and his seat was barely empty when Bob arrived.  He owns the restaurant and is Chairman of TFC’s Board of Directors.  We didn’t expect to see him because he isn’t usually there on Fridays. 

It was an honor to spend twenty minutes with him.

~~~

From there we came home to do a few things, then went to the hospital to visit Cerwin’s mother.

She is in the hospital for tests after it was discovered that her blood pressure was very high.  Tests revealed that she has a blood clot in her jugular vein.  Several more tests showed there are some suspicious masses on both sides of her neck.  She has been put on blood thinner, and will have a biopsy on the masses, hopefully on Monday.

Keep her in your prayers.

 Pretty flowers from her church family.

~~~

After leaving the hospital at 7:00 PM, we stopped at Sears to look at microwaves and small refrigerators for chapels.  We were pleased to find just what we had been looking for – in size and quality.

Then we stopped at Chilli’s for a very late supper.  When we left, Cerwin made a wrong turn, had to turn around and go by the front door of the restaurant another time – where our waitress was standing – looking for us – because Cerwin left his credit card on the payment tray!

~~~

It was certainly a God directed day!