Entry No. 53 - THIS IS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT FOLKS – Part II Kelsey graduated, and Lonnie still had one more year of school. I know that it could not have been easy, but those two kids stuck together and I was surprised and impressed with Lonnie’s love for his son. You could tell that he was so proud. I never doubted that Kelsey would be a good mom. My love for this family grew more and more as I observed their trials and triumphs as they worked hard to be a family. Lonnie has a younger brother named Brandon, but everybody calls him Bam. It’s impossible not to love Bam as soon as you meet him. Bam got to grow up under the protection of his big brother, so he was a little more carefree and more trusting of people. When I think of Bam, I just see this big beautiful smile that lights up his entire face. Bam quickly became one of my favorite people after I met him. He is always light-hearted and easy-going. By now, Lonnie and I have become friends and I look forward to seeing him each week. Lonnie’s senior year is one of my most favorite and memorable years since getting involved with Nite Court. There was so much laughter and I had finally attained a place of ease and comfort between me and the kids that came to Nite Court. I was included in their conversations and felt welcomed into their world. In 2011, after Lonnie had graduated, we had another opportunity to bond when I took him to the ER for a snowboarding injury. (See entries 40 and 41) I have previously told the story about a challenge I received from evangelist Louis Palau. He challenged me to pray for five people every single day and see how the Lord would work in their lives. I started to pray for Lonnie, Kelsey, and Myles (I considered them one person since they are a family). Bam was also one of the five. Let’s just say that things did not go the way I had hoped for, or imagined, for any of the five that I was praying for. It seemed like life got even harder and more discouraging for them. But I kept praying. I was faithful in my prayers for over a year. I did see glimmers of hope that God was drawing them to himself, but none of them had given their life to Christ. After a year of no “visible fruit” from my prayers, I became discouraged; and I’m ashamed to admit that I prayed less. I would still pray, but it was more like once a week or once every couple of weeks. One day in early June, 2013, I was watching the young people as they made their way home from school. The fact that I had been praying for so long for Lonnie, Kelsey, Bam, and the others, combined with the things that I was observing as the kids walked home, made me cry out, “Lord, you say that you draw people to yourself, but I don’t see it. I need to see it. Please let me see that happen Father.” I have prayed for the youth who come to Nite Court every single Saturday night. As they play basketball and volleyball, I pray for them. As we visit throughout the evening and they share the things going on in their lives, I pray for the things they are concerned about, excited about, and sometimes scared about. I pray for their safety, I give thanks for their successes, and I pray for blessings; but I mostly pray that they would know Jesus and love him as their savior. I cannot describe the love that develops when you pray for others. It’s an indescribable love and it’s an unconditional love. Two weeks after I had asked the Lord to let me see that He is working, a tragedy occurred and I would learn just how much I love Lonnie, Kelsey, and Bam. In the midst of the tragedy I was allowed to see the fruits of my prayers. I don’t believe it’s God’s desire to use tragedy and hardships to draw us to himself, but for some reason, those are the times we turn to Him the most. In his love and mercy, he makes something beautiful from our broken lives. (Isaiah 61:3) To be continued...
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 14:37:42 +0000
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