RESPECT J.C.

My Amigo

respectjc | January 18, 2009 09:25

I wanted to share something with you that happened to a friend of mine and former co-worker and a new found babe in Christ.

This past December 20th, John hit a deer on his way to work, and when the police came to fill out the report, something happened that was very unexpected. John was arrested! It seemed that there was an outstanding warrant for him for AWOL from the Military!

Now I will back up and fill in the blank. John and I began to work together last April 1, 2008, after I was transferred to the location that he was working out. We began to hit it off okay, and became friends. We had a chance to share a lot of things, and I learned that John had been in the military for 8 years, and I think he had actually served two tours of duty in Iraq. He could tell you some things about what was going on over there that the normal news media does not. The truth and nothing but the truth. But that is for another time. John was given a discharge after serving his time, and having a bomb blow up near the bunker they were stationed in.

John accepted Christ while him and I was working together. He said he remembers being at church on that Sunday morning, not feeling anything, then WHAM!, next thing he was at the front of the church, accepting Christ as Lord and Savior. That night he returned to the church, and followed his acception by being baptized. After this Sunday, the devil hated what John had done, and he and his family was immediately coming under attack. Things and situations began to crop up that no one could explain. But through all of it John stayed true, trusting God to pull him and his family through the things they faced.

After the day he was arrested, he come to find out that the military had not either filed his discharge papers or filed them wrong, thus putting an outstanding warrant for his arrest for absence without leave. They took him to the county jail, where he was told he would be let out in no more thatn 72 hours, but it ended up being almost a month before he was released.

And before he was released, is where John's testimony begins. You know sometimes God puts us in situations or removes us from situations for His purpose. John at the time couldn't understand what had happened and why it had happened, but he accepted it. John was put in a cell with a young Mexican man, whom I will call Amigo. Amigo was in for illegal immigration purposes. During this time, John dug deep into his Bible, and he will tell you that, he read all of tne New Testament, and some while he was in there. Yes, he said, that he questioned God as to why he was still in there so long, with nothing happening as to his release, but just couldn't feel like he had an answer given to him.

John and Amigo became friends, and John was able to help him intrepret to the guards at this county jail, none of whom could speak Amigo's language. John could enough, to understand and be the liason from Amigo to the guards. John taught Amigo some American card games, while Amigo taught John Mexican card games.

During the times of John studying his Bible, he did realize and began to understand maybe why God had him in there. He could see that he was a big help to Amigo, but John also started a Bible study with the other inmates too.

John had been reading in God's Word about when God speaks to you, and understanding when God speaks, and how to know that it is the voice of God, and he had come to that understanding one night as he lay sleeping. John was already asleep, when without seeing anything or anybody, he heard this voice plainly tell him, "When Amigo goes home, you will go home." John woke up and it hit him then why God had placed him there, and why the 72 hour stay had turned into a lot longer stay. God revealed to him that if he had not been in there, Amigo's stay would have been a terrible one, because no one there understanding him, and no family around to be with him. But God placed John there to be with him, to give him strength, friendship, and to make his stay just a little bit better than it would have been. John had heard the voice of God, and not only understood it, he acted upon it for the next few days, really helping Amigo and introducing him also to Christ. John had found a new strength in Christ, and a stronger relationship through all of this. One morning as John was in the shower, and he will tell you that he took long showers, he came out twenty minutes later to find that Amigo had gone! Amigo had left his leftover toiletries for John to use, since they were hard to come by. But before John could get those items picked up, the guards called his name, and when John answered them, the guards told him to gather his stuff, he was going home. "When Amigo goes home, you will go home." What God had told John, happened.

John will tell you that this is not the only instance that God showed up through his stay in the jail. You see, John's new job that he had just taken held his job for him. Without pay, but they held it for him. And a couple of months earlier before being arrested, John had filed bankruptcy, and therefore, had no major bills to pay, just regular living expenses, for which he and his wife had received money from a family member to allow them to pay a months bills that they did have. When John came home, people came and welcomed him home, and money was brought from church members and family friends to help them out. Even his work was able to give him 5 personal days on his next check to be able to give him a full check this upcoming week. But once again also, God allowed John to see something else. The young man that John had taken his place when he was hired with this coming, was brought back in to take his place while he was in jail. And when John came back to work, this young man asked to borrow John's car to go get breakfast for the employees. When he returned with John's Ford Explorer, it had a full tank of gas in it. You see, John was having to travel a long way every day for his job, and it was rough just coming out of jail with no money, but once again, God provided.

I could go on and on about what took place, and I just hit the highlights of what John went through. John called me last night to let me know that he would be sharing this testimony with his church this morning, and I praise God for what He did in John's life, and for what He has done in my life, and the lives of many. God will speak to us, when we are listening, and sometimes He places us in our out of situations, where He can use us, and allow us to be used, and allow us to listen to Him. Don't be afraid when God speaks to you. Just remember, Be Still and Know That I Am God!!

Be blessed,

Jeff