CHAPTER V
Revival services had begun at the little church on Washington Street. The weather was quite favorable for the endeavor as winter was about over, and the warm sunshine was causing green blades of grass to shoot up here and there.
Jennie Taylor was a faithful attendant at each service. She had taken off work from the hospital, so she could put her best into the revival. Jennie had a special burden on her heart, and requested the church to help her pray, for she realized the power in unity. She knew, also, that God hears and answers prayer.
As Sam drove her home after church, he asked, "Do you mind telling me who you are burdened for, Jennie?"
"A friend I met at the hospital. He lost his wife, and has become very bitter. I gave him a Testament, and pray daily for him, but I felt God would be pleased if I requested the church to help me pray. With genuine prayer going up, God will convict his heart of his need."
"Bless your heart, Jennie, you are always striving to win souls, aren't you?"
"The Lord helps me to witness for Him nearly every day, but I still feel I do so little."
Upon reaching her house, Sam got out and opened the car door. Walking up the sidewalk with her, he stammered, "Jennie, I think a lot of you. Do you think you could ever care for me?"
"I appreciate your consistent life, Sam. You're a real friend," she finished lamely.
"Is that all? I'm just a friend to you?"
"Yes, Sam. I don't care for you like you mean. I'm sorry, Sam. I honestly wish I did, for you're a genuine Christian, but all I can say is I like you as a friend."
They had stopped at her door. Sam looked down at the floor as he spoke. "Thanks for your honesty, Jen, I'm glad you're not the type to lead a guy on, and make him think you care when you really don't." Lifting his eyes, he looked her in the face. "Jennie, if you'll allow me, I'd still like to drive you home every once in a while. We can yet be good friends."
"Sure, Sam. I trust we can always be the best of friends. Good-bye for now."
Across town, Dave picked up the phone and dialed information. "Is there a listing for a Taylor on Ninth and Chester? Yes, operator, I think that's it. Thank you."
Dave looked at the clock. It was Ten P.M Was it too late to call? Dave was miserable and needed to talk to someone. It had been several months since he had seen or heard of Jennie, but no denying it, she had a soothing effect on his nerves. He would take a chance and call.
"Hello." There was no mistaking her voice.
"Hello, Jennie. This is Dave Maddox. Remember me?"
"Why, Dave, what a pleasant surprise! How are you?"
"I'm lonely and miserable, Jennie. I needed someone to talk to and I thought of you. Hope you don't mind and it's not too late."
"No, Dave, I don't mind and it's not too late. I was still up.”
"Are you just getting off from work?"
"No, I didn't work today."
"Then, why are you up so late, may I ask?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"Sure. Why not?"
"I was praying, Dave. God has placed a special burden my heart for you, and I want to see you saved. If you would give your heart to Jesus, He would give you peace and joy beyond anything you can imagine." When Dave did not comment. Jennie asked, "Are you still there?"
"Yes, but I guess I'll go now."
"Wait a minute, Dave. I thought you wanted to talk to me.”
"I thought I did, too, but not any more. I just don't care for all this religious talk, Jennie, to be quite frank with you." Changing the tone of his voice he added, "You're a sweet girl, Jennie, but you take this religion stuff too far. I don't mean to hurt you, but why don't you slack up a little and find other interests in life. You're too young to be so serious on religion. "
"Dave, I can't slack up. Since God saved me from a life of sin and later cleansed my heart in a second work of grace called sanctification, I can't stop talking about Him for it burns in my heart." She paused a few seconds to give him a chance to comment. When he did not answer, she added, "I want to ask a favor of you before you hang up. We're having revival services for the next two weeks at our little church at 106 Washington. Will you please attend at least one service?"
"Not very likely. And now good night, Jennie."
"Good night, Dave."
As he hung up the phone he was more miserable than ever and wished he had never called. No doubt, he had hurt Jennie's feelings. He knew she meant well, but he was tired of hearing about religion every time he talked to her. She might as well know it once and for all.
Pacing back and forth in his room like a caged animal, he thought upon their conversation. This religion stuff was not for him. If God loved him as much as Jennie claimed He did, why did He take Carol from him? He could not understand that kind of love. Jennie never had known any heartaches so it was easy for her to believe in a loving God.
An hour later, Dave was still pacing the floor trying to reason with his own heart. He opened the drawer where he had put the Testament and reached for it. "What's the matter with you, Dave Maddox?" he asked himself. "Is Jennie's influence too much for you?"
He opened the little book and read, "Behold now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation."
"What does this mean?" he meditated. "Now is the day of salvation."
He kept turning the pages and reading verse after verse. In the fourth chapter of St. Luke, he read, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised."
"He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted," he read over again. "What is it talking about? Maybe it means God. Jennie talks about how God has power to heal. But. ... " he continued in meditation, "He didn't heal Carol. If He failed there, how can He possibly heal a heart broken because of her death?"
He slammed the Testament shut with a bang and shoved it far back into the drawer from where he had taken it.
"Dave Maddox, leave it alone," he said angrily to himself. "There is no help for you now or ever."
But as Jennie and the faithful saints at the little church continued to intercede for his soul, God continued to deal with his heart, and Sunday morning found him up early again. He was disgusted with himself. Why could he not sleep? Bits of his conversation with Jennie kept coming back to his mind. "Since God saved me from a life of sin." How could she have ever been a sinner? He wondered what she meant by being sanctified. He shook his head as if to shake out the thoughts, for he was sick of thinking about religion. There was only one thing to do to rid himself of unwanted thoughts, so he reached for his wallet, tucked it in his back pocket, left his apartment and headed for Joe's Bar. But he seemed to hear Mr. Perry's pleading voice. "Dave, I hope you'll listen to an old man's advice and leave the bottle alone." Dave had not made him any promises but it was a shame to let him down. So instead of going to Joe's Bar, Dave turned toward 106 Washington St. It would not hurt to pass by Jennie's church and see what it looked like. As he drove toward it. his heart began to beat faster. Maybe he would go in and surprise Jennie. After all, she had invited him to their revival. Well, why not?
He rounded the corner and was looking for a parking space when he saw her. A blond-haired young man walked by her side and they laughed together as they walked up the sidewalk to the church .
Dave stepped on the accelerator and sped away. “What changed your mind, Dave?" he said to himself as he raced up the street. "Why should you care that she has a boyfriend? She certainly means nothing to you."
Swerving in and out of the traffic, running through a caution light and swinging around a curve, he finally skidded to a halt at Joe's Bar. Having stifled the voice of conscience, he found it easier than he had thought. He joined himself to one of his barroom associates in a corner booth and ordered a drink. Before long his good intentions of going to churc
h and the scene he witnessed there was forgotten.
But poor eating habits, drinking, smoking, and grief were too much for him; and Jennie discovered one afternoon upon reporting for duty that Dave had been admitted to the hospital where she worked. He was on the same floor where she had been assigned so she looked him up immediately.
"Dave," she exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"
"A light heart attack," Dave tried to appear unconcerned. "The doctor said it was a warning and advised me to quit my drinking, smoking, and worrying. Said the next one would probably be lots worse."
"Why, Dave! Do you mean you drink? I can't imagine it.”
"Naturally you couldn't imagine anyone being bad, Jennie, a girl as full of religion as you are."
"Oh, Dave, everyone is bad in one way or another without the grace of God, for the Bible tells us our own righteousness is as filthy rags."
"What in the world does that mean?"
"It simply means that one cannot be good enough to merit heaven no matter how good they think they are. Their goodness without the grace of God looks like filthy rags to God."
"In other words, as bad as I am, I've got about as good a chance to get to heaven as all the goody-goods," Dave rationalized.
"Well, yes and no. You see, Dave, no one has a chance to get to heaven until they have been born again by the Spirit of Christ."
"It's all very confusing, Jennie. Maybe we'd better talk about the weather. Is it still raining outside?"
"Yes, it's quite stormy looking. I must run now, Dave, but before I go, will you allow me to pray for you?"
"Sure, pray on. Don't guess it can hurt me even if it doesn't help me."
As she bowed her head and, with a trembling voice, began to pray, the Holy Spirit settled down and melted her heart in prayer. With tears flowing unashamedly, she thanked God for sparing Dave's life and entreated Him to reveal Dave's heart to him through the Holy Spirit. "Don't let him die and go to hell," she prayed boldly. "Show him his sinful heart and his need of a Saviour."
"Thank you, Jennie," Dave reached for her hand, but she drew it back. His voice trembled and tears glistened in his eyes. "What a prayer! I reckon I am a pretty bad sinner. If you'll promise to keep praying for me, I'll promise to quit smoking and drinking. I see I need to change my ways."
"I'll keep praying for you, Dave." She smiled at him sweetly. "It's wonderful that you've promised to stop your drinking and smoking but that's only a start. 'Ye must be born again,' " she quoted from the Bible. "Well, I must go. See you later."
"Good night, Jennie, and thanks for what you've done."
The next morning Dave awoke early feeling better with new resolutions in his life.
His door opened and a stranger walked in.
"Good morning, Dave. I'm Rev. Smith, Jennie's pastor. She asked me to come by and see you."
"I'm very pleased to meet you, Rev. Smith. That Jennie is quite a girl. She never gives up in trying to win people to her way of life."
"Yes, she's a real Christian girl."
"It's a wonder that some good man hasn't tried to win her love." Dave was probing hoping to find out the truth concerning Jennie and the blond-haired boy.
"Oh, they try all right, but Jennie will never marry until she is sure of God's will in the matter. She would not allow anyone to hinder her usefulness in God's Kingdom, Dave." The pastor thought it best to get right to the point. "Jennie feels the Lord is dealing with your heart and she thinks I might be able to help you."
"Well, preacher, if I thought I could be as good as Jennie, I would be glad to change my way of living for I have found out my way doesn't pay. But I don't understand much about religion. I read some in a Testament she gave me but I can't seem to grasp its meaning."
"You don't have to understand much, Dave. The Bible states that 'wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein,' so you see the way of salvation is very simple. Let us read here in I John 1:9. 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness' and in Proverbs 28:13, we read, 'He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.' You see, Dave, God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. He told us this in II Peter 3:9. Do you understand thus far the way of salvation?"
"If I understand correctly, God wants me to repent, to confess all my sins to you."
"Not to me, Dave. Confess your sins to God."
"Now, preacher, how could I ever remember all sins? You're asking the impossible."
"As you pray earnestly and sincerely, Dave, God brings your past sins to your remembrance. Just confess what you know is wrong in your past and present life and leave the rest to God. Would you like to pray?"
"I sure am a terrible sinner, preacher. Do you suppose it is His will to save a sinner like me? It evidently was not His will to heal my wife. Jennie says we must pray 'Thy will be done.' "
"In healing, yes, Dave, that is correct, but with salvation, it is different. Remember the Scripture I just quoted to you that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. It was for this purpose that Christ came into the world, to save sinners. Here, let's read John 3:16. 'For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' The next verse says, 'For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the world through Him might be saved.' So you see. Dave, Jesus came to save sinners no matter how wicked they have been. He does not want to condemn you to hell unless you refuse His offer of salvation. Then He has no other alternative. He's waiting just now with outstretched arms of mercy to save whosoever will. He wants to forgive your sins if you will only let Him."
"I will let Him all right, preacher, but my sins are awfully numerous and black."
"In Isaiah 1:18 we read, 'Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet. they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.' Let us pray, Dave."
Dave's heart was hungry; therefore, he was ready to repent. With the Spirit's help, it was easy to pray and as he turned wholeheartedly to God in true repentance and faith, his sins were blotted out and his name written down in the Lamb's Book of Life.
"Wonderful," he exclaimed as the Spirit bore witness to his regeneration.
"Praise the Lord, Dave, you are a new creature in Christ Jesus," Rev. Smith said joyfully as he pumped Dave's hand.
"Yes, I feel it. That peace that Jennie talks about has come into my heart. Thank you, thank you, Rev. Smith, for coming by to pray with me."
"Thank God, Son, and Jennie. There's very little I have done. I am just a little instrument that God used at the right time, to help you to come to the saving knowledge of the truth." Looking at his watch, he added, "Well. I must be on my way now. There's another patient here in the hospital that I want to visit. With the encouragement I have received this morning. I should be able to help encourage her." With a big smile he shook Dave's hand again. "Keep praying, Dave, read your Bible, and keep trusting God and He will see through. Good-bye for now and God bless you. If you need me, feel free to call on me any time, day or night."
"Thanks, Rev. Smith. and good-bye."