Jesse, don't forget....

Don't forget how passionately Jesus loves you. Don't forget how He orchestrated circumstances to get you to Oaxaca, Mexico, where you would "just happen" to meet a group of crazy Christians and hear about Jesus.  Don't forget how one "mama" sent you off with that final plea for you to respond to the message of hope and salvation you had heard.

I know I will never forget you, Jesse.  In fact I think of you and pray for you every time I tell this story.  This weekend I had a similar bizarre happening that I attribute to the providence of a loving heavenly Father, and I remembered you, and prayed for you again.

It was 2006.  I had gone up to Alberta, Canada for Tim's graduation from the Explore Program at Prairie Bible College.  We were taking a day trip through the Canadian Rockies with his girlfriend, Heidi, and her parents.  Wading our way through the crowds at Banff, Heidi commented that this was just the type of place her dad was likely to run into someone he knew.  Tim and I laughed, saying that Jim is the same way, always finding someone he knows or someone who knows someone he knows - anywhere we go.

Just then, a very tall, lanky young man came bounding over to me, exclaiming, "Mom! What are you doing here?"  Tim glanced at me, wondering if I had some family secret I had withheld from him, but mostly taking a protective posture, fists drawn, trying to stand menacingly between me and this very unusual person.  It was Jesse!  His hair was mostly shaven on one side and rather long and wispy on the other.  He was wearing cut-off jean shorts, and a t-shirt that showed off some of his many tattoos.  His ears were filled with the largest plugs, tunnels, or gauges (I can't honestly remember which, but at the time, it was unusual enough that it made an impression).

All I could do after being grabbed into a spontaneous bear hug was to look into Jesse's eyes, and say, "See?  God loves you so much he sent me all the way to Canada to remind you that you still need to make a decision!"  Even he had to admit it was a rather convincing claim.  From southern Mexico all the way to Canada, God was pursuing him.  That was 12 years ago.  I haven't seen Jesse since, but I pray for him all the time.  Maybe he did achieve his aspiration of becoming a tattoo artist.  Maybe he is famous.  I have no idea.  I just hope and pray that he finally reconciled his heart to Jesus.  He knows the truth!  Just like many of our unsaved loved ones....

Praying for each of them today, confident that God will pursue them, that somehow they will be persuaded to respond in faith to the hope we celebrate today on Resurrection Sunday!