God is not finished with you!

    Drew, a Korean, was adopted by American military parents when he was a child. They moved often and this, along with the reality of being given up at birth, left Drew longing for a sense of identity. At the age of fourteen when his parents retired, Drew was so desperate for friends and for a sense of belonging, that he got involved with the wrong crowd. His attitude and behaviour changed. He started smoking weed, drinking and got involved in small criminal activities.
    At the age of seventeen, he left home. He turned to cocaine and he became even more involved in criminal activity. He felt invincible. He felt that people took him more seriously and respected him more because he was on this drug.
    One day, some men invaded his home, attempting to rob him, and he was shot in the face. The bullet lacerated his brain instead of going through it. When he awoke days later, he felt broken and helpless. He could not hear out of his right ear and he couldn’t open his mouth to speak. He was told that he had gotten shot at almost point blank range and that he should not be alive. A nurse was assigned to his care. Everyday, she sat by his bed and read the bible to him and prayed. He wished he could tell her to leave but he could not. She did this for ninety days. She also spent time encouraging him, letting him know that he should not be alive but that God had a plan for his life. Her consistency caused her to earn his respect and trust. She was able to make him promise, at the end of his stay in the hospital, to find a church. 
    He did, and when he went, he found what he had longed for all his life. As he wept, he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Saviour and felt a weight lift off of him. He was set free from cocaine and found a sense of identity as he immersed himself in the bible and his church community.
    He is grateful for the second chance at life he has been given. His relationship with his parents has been restored, he is married and is a youth pastor. He is so thankful that Jesus stepped in and made Himself known to him, when he would never have even made the effort to go after Him.
    I love how Drew ends this testimony. Among other things, he is thankful that God came after him when he was not even making any effort to seek God for himself. He didn’t cry out to God. He tried to fix everything on his own but God stepped in. This is one of the things I love about God. He doesn’t always wait for us to ask for His help. He simply steps in because He knows we need Him.
    I also love the reality that God chose to give Drew another chance at life. He should have died but he did not because God had a plan for his life. When it seemed like it was over, God stepped in and showed him a life way beyond anything he could dream or ask for. I am reminded here of Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 
    A new year has begun. You may look back over the year that has passed, and feel as if it’s over. You can’t see a new beginning, you can’t see any hope or even a future. But, the reality is, God still has a plan! It may seem like it’s the end but it’s not over. In Isaiah 43:19 God says, “Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth. Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Only God can bring good out of impossible and hopeless situations. Trust Him!
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God is not finished with you! He still has a plan; He still has a purpose for your life. Trust Him with all the good, all the bad and all the in between, and watch Him heal, restore and give you a life beyond what you could ask for or imagine.

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