My Jesus breakdown

4:01 p.m. Today's project was to meet my 83 year-old dad in Loma Linda to participate in a VA alcohol and drugg addiction family intervention like the one I attended last week with our son's fiancee and our grandsons.

On Thanksgiving as I was answering questions from my side of the family about how our son was doing, Daddy popped up and said, "I want to go next time." Whoa! That was a surprise! Not really, I guess, because our son has always been close to his grandpa, since the pre-Christian days we lived with him in Redlands after my divorce.

Birds of a feather, we both arrived early and sat visiting in my car for a few minutes. I explained the purpose of the families-only session we'd attend first, where we'd be free to express our thoughts, worries, encouragement, any questions for the facilitator to help out with. Before I went in, however, I spent a minute talking with a young Christian mom who'd been very vocal about her faith last week, and told her how she'd encouraged me to be more bold in my witness today. Our son's fiancee, Daddy and I all shared in the session, and I asked some questions about the program which I can already see is having a massively positive effect on our son. He is like his real self, healthy, comical and finally able to express his thoughts.

Thank you, Lord, for bringing him so far in the program, physically cleaning out his body of alcohol! The healing isn't complete, but it's a good beginning.

After lunch, we gathered with the residents and were able to greet our loved ones. Each family had the opportunity for a skillfully facilitated interaction with their loved one. Some of them are being strengthened by returning to their faith in very difficult circumstances without the husband and father in the home. We all listened intently and empathized with one another--powerful support was in that room.

When our family's turn came, his fiancee began, our son replied, and she expressed gratitude that our son has decided to go on in his recovery to the next phase, in a new residence with a bit more independence, but with counseling and meetings throughout the day as he experiences now.

My turn came, and I began telling our son how much I love him, and his grandpa loves him, and then I just broke down weeping and told him that Jesus knows him better than anyone, and loves him more than anyone ever could. I begged him to come back to the Lord, to stop running. "Start praying! Open up your Bible! You know the Lord!" I then turned to the group at large and told them, "Jesus knows everything about each of us, but He loves us unconditionally! He has brought you here to begin your healing. In Isaiah it says Jesus is the one who heals all of your diseases and forgives all of your iniquities. He is the One! He loves you, all of you! And He is here for you! Jesus is waiting to be your Savior...go to Him!"

That was the Holy Spirit, pure and simple, because I was absolutely compelled to witness. There was no stopping the floodgates of Jesus' sacrificial love and desire to "draw all men to Himself," as He said of Himself in John 12:32.

May I approach you too, if you are not yet a saved, born again Christian? Let this Christmas mark your new life in Christ! Ask Jesus to be your Savior. Quoting II Corinthians 5:20, I join with the Apostle Paul and thousands of "ambassadors for Christ"over the centuries in saying, "as though God were pleading through us,"

We implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.