PRAISE TO GOD THIS DAY, JANUARY 18, 2006 AND EVERY OTHER DAY THAT I HAVE SEEN AND HAVE YET TO SEE. A YOUNG MAN THAT HAS BEEN IN MY PRAYERS FOR OVER A YEAR, HAS SEEN SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE TUMOR THAT WAS IN HIS BRAIN. EVERYONE THAT HAS BEEN IN OUR PRAYER CIRCLE THE LAST YEAR SHOULD BE SOMEWHAT RELIEVED THAT THIS DAY HAS FINALLY COME. WAS THERE ANY DOUBT THAT GOD WOULD TAKE THIS YOUNG MAN AWAY FROM US AT SUCH AT EARLY AGE? YES, HE COULD HAVE. I SEE THAT GOD HAS FORSEEN GREAT THINGS IN THIS YOUNG MAN'S FUTURE AND DECIDED TO LET HIM LIVE. PRAISE GOD! PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO FATHOM THAT GOD COULD SOMEHOW ANSWER MY PRAYERS. I HAVEN'T BEEN TO CHURCH IN NEARLY FOUR YEARS. THE OLD SLANG TERM "BACK-SLIDER" IS I GUESS WHAT YOU COULD CALL ME. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I'VE EVER COMPLETELY LOST TOUCH WITH GOD, IT'S MORE LIKE I'VE BEEN ON A SABBATICAL FROM HIM. GOD WILL ALWAYS BE A BIG PART OF MY LIFE. I BELIEVE YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE TO GO TO CHURCH TO BE CLOSE TO GOD. I BELIEVE EVERYONE OF US HAS THE RIGHT TO WORSHIP AS WE CHOOSE. THIS DOESN'T MEAN I WILL NOT EVER GO TO CHURCH AGAIN, IT JUST MEANS THAT RIGHT NOW I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE.
FOUR YEARS AGO, I LOST MY MOTHER TO CANCER. I FELT THAT GOD TOOK SOMETHING PRECIOUS AWAY FROM ME AND MY FAMILY. MY MOTHER WAS AS CLOSE TO A SAINT AS ANYONE I'VE EVER KNOWN. WHY DID HE TAKE HER? I WILL ONE DAY GET A CHANCE TO STAND BEFORE GOD AND HE WILL TELL ME WHY.
AS I FINISH WITH THIS WRITING, I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS; ONLY GOD KNOWS WHY THINGS HAPPEN, IT'S ENTIRELY UP TO HIM. I JUST HOPE THAT GOD WILL FORGIVE ME FOR ALL THE YEARS I'VE STAYED AWAY FROM HIM. THE YEARS I'VE WASTED NOT SERVING HIM IN THE CAPACITY I SHOULD HAVE. GOD BLESS ANYONE THAT READS THIS TODAY.