From Casual Christian to Committed Follower of Jesus

Like many people, I accepted Jesus when I was very young.  Having spent most of my life going to church, I was very comfortable with church, the activities to be found in church, and the structure of church.  I also enjoyed going to church on Sunday mornings. 

As a young adult I found myself treating my faith as something that I would 'do' when it fit my schedule or involved something that I had a current interest in.  I also had no problem with skipping church just because.

After joining the Army, I found myself leaving church behind.  It didn't fit my lifestyle or interests.  Then, there was the excuse of not being at home so that I could go to the church that I was used to going to.  When I was younger, I had attended many chapels on various military bases when my dad was in the military.  Now that it was my turn to serve, it just didn't feel the same when I walked into the military chapel.  I don't know what I was looking for, but I just wasn't finding it.

I had a really good friend that I worked with at the time, Scott, who invited me to attend church with him and his wife, Rachel.  I took them up on their offer and started attending a local church in El Paso, Texas.  We would go to a service in the morning and then I would hang out at their apartment in the afternoon for lunch and fun.  They were really good friends.

Going to church with Scott and Rachel was a great way to get back into the groove of church and it reminded me of the things I enjoyed.  Mainly, some fellowship and great messages.  Scott would always say, " Know where you're going and turn neither to the left nor the right."  That was some good advice.

Now, Mike and I also worked together at William Beaumont Army Medical Center.  I was a discharge planner for a while and then I ended up taking over Mike's caseload.  He did child abuse investigations.  So, we started spending a lot of time together as a result of working together and talking about cases together.  He offered to do the driving when I wanted to take my sister skiing for her birthday.  Another time, I ended up having guard duty, which is a duty where I had to stay awake all night.  Mike was on his way out of the Army and had been taken off the duty roster.  But, low and behold, he ended up having duty with me.  We talked all night.

Now, a church called Potter's House had been having meetings on base for a while and I had started attending some of those meetings.  During one of them, on Feb. 19th, 1986, I decided that I was going to follow Jesus, to the best of my ability.  I knew that from now on, following Jesus meant doing things for His glory, not just how things made me feel.  Following Jesus was not going to be something I did just when it fit my schedule or interests.  I also knew that this time, my decision was for life, for me and any children I would have in the future.  Not only did I want to follow Jesus, I wanted a spouse who would share this dedication with me.  I prayed for such a spouse.

Then, there was Mike and all the time I was spending with him.  He was definitely a distraction in my decision to seek a fellow believer as a spouse.  I don't remember if I prayed that God's will be done or if I prayed that God would bless my attraction to Mike. 

In an effort to stay true to my decision to really and truly follow Christ, I remember telling Mike that we could be friends and that I would go out with him, but that was all.  He was fun to be around.  He made me laugh and he was so thoughtful.  I know that I wanted to have my cake and eat it, too.

So, I thought I had everything under control.  Then one Sunday after church, Mike showed up at Scott and Rachel's apartment.  He knew I went there on Sunday's after church.  You could have knocked me over with a feather when he showed up. 

Not only did he show up once, he kept showing up and we kept dating.  Surely my prayers were being answered, weren't they?

So, here are some things that someone in this same situation may want to think about:

1.  When praying, should the prayer be about something I have already made up my mind to do?
2.  Should I pray that God's will be done or should I just ask that God bless my plans, wants, and desires?
3.  Do people change their behavior when dating?  How?  Why? 
4.  What should you expect of the other person when dating?
5.  What kinds of things should you talk about when dating?  What topics are off limits?
6.  Is it realistic to pray that God will bring a fellow believer into my life as a spouse?

If you are in need of prayer, here is one place to receive support:
Seeking Prayer
http://prayerwarriorsaz.web.officelive.com