Learning

9:50 p.m. Today's project was to pray with, accompany and support Steven in his day of pre-judging. His girlfriend Kathy and I dropped Steven off at the venue at UNLV, and waited on a shady bench for the 45 minutes it would take for the public to be admitted.

The morning had been fairly smooth until Kathy, who had checked out of her room, needed to make a last check but had turned in her key card. We were all set to go, and Security came to let her in, but this was no ordinary day. Steven needed his cortisol levels to stay low for maximum performance, so I was glad theat I had laid hands on him earlier and prayed  extensively for what God would do today. And before that, Cara had called to pray as is our habit Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.Through the goof-ups and stressors of the day, Kathy and I became practiced at "praying without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17). 

As we sat on our bench, Kathy asked if we could do a Bible study together with a verse the Lord had laid on her heart repeatedly, II Corinthians 12:9:

My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.

I asked if we could consider the preceeding verses where Paul reveals that he had had the astounding privilege of being caught up in Paradise (II Corinthians 12:1-4), including visions and revelations of the Lord. I mentioned that at my Bible study yesterday, I asked the women if God had ever given them a specific vision of what He plans to do with their lives, to be kept private if one wishes, between oneself and Jesus. Kathy said she had--the Lord has put on her heart to reach the Hispanic community with the Gospel, through her work as a fitness trainer. That vision was confirmed by the Spanish language outreach pastor at the Peoples' Church! We also discussed witnessing to strangers, and we noticedthat a lady had been sharing the bench with us. So the Lord put it on my heart to begin a conversation with her, mentoring and leading this committed young woman in witnessing by example. "Just find a point of commonality," and the conversation goes on from there! As Paul said about his own worldwide outreach, I Corinthians 9:23b,

I am become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

The two of us enjoyed along qualifying period for the men as we waited to see Steven. Young at 24, he was outmatched by several years and many poundds by the older competitors, so he won't be in the finals tomorrow night. He learned a lot and has a plan for next year already in motion!.  

No appearance in the finals here on this earth today, sadly. But as for the "finals" Steven and all believers will have aced? That one-question test has been asked of and answered by each of us believers once and for all: "What did you do about Jesus?" If you answer, "I asked Jesus to be my Savior, and to be Lord of my life, so that I might live with Him forever in heaven," you may join Steven, Kathy, and me, and billions of born-again Christians in heaven. I sincerely pray, as one who went to the top of the Strstosphere hotel tonight, that I'll "see you at the top!"