Written Jul 11, 2012 8:15am by Renee Albracht
During lunch yesterday, I received a text from a friend who works in maintenance. We haven't spoken much in the past year. We didn't have a falling out or anything. Life simply got in the way and the only time we saw each other is when we happened to walk past each other during the course of our day. It was good to hear from her.
Toward the end of the day, she came by my office to see me. She looked different. I have always believed you could see the true nature of a person's soul by looking in their eyes. I watched an interview yesterday morning with a mayor of a major metropolitan city in America. His eyes looked dark. He did not look evil, but I could tell he did not know Christ. He looked as if he could lie to me and never think twice about it. He looked like a man who was deep down a good guy, but who did only what was best for himself.
When Amber came into my office, I saw a young woman changed, her heart completely surrendered to her Savior. As we spoke about our experiences and about scripture, she kept saying, "I get it now!" I could tell she really did. I pray now that she is fertile soil and that she will keep it. I warned her that the other side doesn't like that she gets it and will attack. She says he already has. Please keep her in your prayers.
I can't get over how beautiful she looked withe those sparkling eyes of recognition. She spoke of how she wanted to get her life right before seeking God. "It doesn't work that way," I said. We talked about how so many people call themselves Christian when they really aren't. Like her, they would go to church and follow the rituals, but never got it. Sunday morning worshippers, as some call this type of Christian. "It's about relationship, not tradition," I told her. She agreed.
Since I have known God all my life, and as I told her when she asked, "Jesus was my buddy when I was a kid," I have always gotten it. I can't imagine how anyone could get through life and not know Jesus. He is my Father, brother, confidant, and friend. Sometimes I wish that I came to Him later in life so I could fully appreciate what people like my friend Amber are experiencing. Then again, I am so thankful I never had to go through life thinking I was in it all by myself.
Before parting, we hugged as if one of us had just been saved from death, which I suppose she has been, and we promised to be better friends. What a joy that moment was for me. I hope it was for her as well.
When I got home, I got back on the treadmill. My goal has been for simply 7,000 steps per day. Since I walked on campus yesterday, I started with just over 5,000 steps before I started. But, 7,000 steps came and I kept pushing. "Go for 20 minutes!" I told myself. Twenty minutes past. "Go for 30!" Thirty minutes past. "Let's just go for a good 2 miles!" I got to 1.50 miles and decided to run. I went from level 3.5 to 5. (Mike explained to me these are levels, not miles per hour.) So, at level 5, I was running 12 miles per hour! I only did this for a quarter of a mile, but I broke a good sweat and already improved from day one!!!
While on the treadmill, the Bon Jovi song, "Thank You for Loving Me" came on my iPod. As I listened to the words, I felt myself choke up. It is the greatest love song ever...a love song I would sing to my heavenly Father. "Thank you for loving me, for being my eyes when I couldn't see, for parting my lips when I couldn't breathe. Thank you for loving me...You pick me up when I fall down. You ring the bell before they count me out. If I was drowning you would part the sea and risk your own life to rescue me!"
And, Jesus did just that! He gave His own life to save me. Thank you, Jesus!
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