The worst night of my life

My family rarely ever went to church when I was growing up, I can’t remember my mother or father ever attending church, although my sister Joyce said they went when I was a baby. I have always been aware of God, because my mother’s best friend was a wonderful Christian lady, and her youngest son and I were good friends. Whenever I spent the night at her house with my friend, we would say our prayers. If I happened to be at her house playing with her son in the evening, she would call us into the house and have a time of devotion and read from the bible.
There was a time in my life, where I searched for truth and meaning, after I got out of the Army. I didn’t know what to believe and what not to believe. The Lord started to draw me to Himself through bible prophecy, and this was over a period of several years. I found a program on television called “Jack Van Impe Presents”, and I was amazed that the things that Jack was talking about were the very things Christ had put on my heart and that is, that we are living at the very end of this church age! I never knew the plan of salvation or how to call on the Lord for Salvation, or what I had to believe to be saved until I started watching Jack’s show; I still hesitated to call on Christ. I kept Him in my back- pocket; so to speak; I wasn’t quite ready to make a commitment.
Then, in February 1999, I nearly lost my granddaughter Brianna to a staph infection. At the time, she was only three years old. We came within a few hours of losing her; her internal organs were starting to shut down. That was a critical night; we were told she may not survive the night. My wife stayed at the hospital with Brianna, I went home, I had to work the next day. When I got home I got down on the floor, in our family room and I prayed and I begged God not to take her from us. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her, I cried. I prayed, I begged, I asked the Lord to take me instead. That was the worst night of my life.
The next morning I called my wife to check on Brianna and she had made it through the night, and seemed to be improving. She slowly improved day by day, and after twelve days, mostly in intensive care, with two IV’s in her arms, she was finally strong enough to come home. The day she came home, I felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off of my shoulders, such relief and joy, then I just started weeping, and I wept until I couldn’t cry anymore. I had started to weep because God was dealing with my heart, it’s as if He had spoken verbally to me; He said, I have given you back your granddaughter.
I felt the love of Christ at that moment, something I can’t describe, it’s so wonderful. The very next time Jack Van Impe’s show came on, I prayed for Christ to forgive me and to come into my heart and my life and save me! That was in February 1999, and today I don’t know how I ever lived without Christ in my life. He has brought such joy and peace to my life. Knowing Christ has given meaning and a purpose to my life and an eternal hope in His resurrection. The only regret I have is that I waited so long to invite Him into my life.
There is a void in each and every person’s life and the only thing that can fill that void is Jesus Christ, there can be no lasting joy and contentment without Jesus Christ. It is Christ that opens your eyes to truth and understanding, and makes you a complete person. Christ is the thing that we, as people, are all searching for.
My life has been transformed by the love of Christ, I no longer get angry like I used to, I no longer worry like I used to, I am more patient with others, less critical of others, I don’t curse like I once did. I’m happier now than I have ever been and I sleep well at night, knowing my heavenly Father is in control of everything. Through my love of prophecy, Christ has called me to teach His Word, and it is such a joy that He has allowed me to share His Word with others, I am so thankful Christ is allowing me to serve Him in this way.

Dale Rash
Evansville, IN