Ever since I can remember I always wanted to be somebody or something. Basically, I was either going to be Batman or a professional baseball player. But after those ambitions were brought to naught, especially about being a professional baseball player, I was a total basket case. My whole life was based on becoming a ball player and hitting home runs for all of
> you as you sat in the stadiums and behind the television sets!
Why the craving for such attention? I don't really know. I don't place any blame for my dad and mom divorcing when I was only five years of age, nor for my dad going to prison for shooting an officer during a bank robbery, nor for being an overweight kid, always being looked at and ignored as something other than the perfect kid. To tell you the truth I just wanted everybody to love me because deep down in my heart I love everyone else.
Well folks, now that I look back I am glad Jesus had different plans for
me. And I know He has great plans for you also! Sometimes we don't like what takes place in our lives but Jesus, by His Spirit, is always trying to get
>us to see Him, and Him only. He is constantly saying, "Hey! I'm ALIVE and
I love you. Would you ask me into your life so I can show you what true lifeand freedom is about? I want to show all the wonderful things I have
planned for you - not only here on earth but also in eternity."
Directly after high school and serving 3 years in the Army MilitaryPolice, I was introduced into the world of weight lifting and all the trappings
that come with that lifestyle - steroids, drugs, alcohol, food, sex and PRIDE!
In early September 1983 I was working at a hospital in Traverse City, Michigan as a transporter for the physical therapy department. My job description was to go up to the patient's room and lift them up out of
their beds and bring them down to the physical therapist so he could take them through their prescribed therapy. My other job description was to steal as many steroids and drugs as I could find. You see I was looking good on the outside but I was dying on the inside . . . and God knew it. I was dying
and headed straight for Hell. I was on a one-way road to total destruction and
I knew it. Of course, there was nothing I could do about it, as I wastotally unaware of The Way that was made for me.
Then one September morning Doug Browning, a lawyer, had hurt his back playing racquetball and was emitted to the hospital for treatment and
rest.That's why the song by Neil Diamond, September Morn, brings tears and
great memories to my mind. The first day I met Doug I knew he was different thanany other patient I had met. As I would enter his room to pick him up for therapy, Doug was happy, cheerful and glad to see me! I thought this was strange! Never had I gone to someone's room who was so happy to see this
big muscle-bound guy come in to sweep them off to the torture chamber!
Well I took Doug down to the torture chamber and had him meet Dr. Jeckel and Mr. Hide and left him there for the forty minute stretching exercises as I sped off to feed my face. I was on so many steroids (abusing) at the time I was feeding my face every chance I got and was fueling up my body for my grueling workout that would take place after work was done. After the force-feeding I went back to get Doug who was still cheerful and glad tosee me again! I'm thinking to myself, "This guy must be on some pretty good drugs and I want some!" I got Doug into the wheel chair and wheeled him back to his room, got him into his bed and told him I would see him bright and early in the morning for his next torture session.
Just as I was about to leave the room he said, "Randy, while I'm here in the hospital I'm not going to eat so why don't you come up and eat my food at noon and we can talk." I said, "Sure, I'll eat my food down in the department and then I will come up and eat yours!" (Jesus knows exactly how to draw His creation back to Himself). He did it through my love of food and knowing that I would accept Doug's invitation. Folks, Jesus knows everything about you! Don't think for one minute He doesn't.
So, for the next week each noon I was up in Doug's room scarfing down his food and then he asked me a question that changed my life forever! He
said,"Randy, who is Jesus Christ to you?" I said, "I don't know, Doug, why don't you tell me!" I would listen each day as Doug faithfully told me about Jesus ' love for me as I continued to inhale the food. After the week, Doug had somewhat recovered from his injury well enough to be discharged from the hospital and to my surprise I had lost my extra noon meal! To say the
least, I was highly upset!
Two weeks later the phone rang down in the department and the nurse yelled at me, "Randy! Phone call for you!" I answered the phone and it was Doug aying he wanting to come by and buy me lunch at the hospital. He asked if we could find a picnic table and have lunch together. I agreed, thinking that I will eat my lunch before he arrives and then we can go down to the cafeteria, get lunch and sit outside, since it was such a nice September Morn.
I devoured my lunch and eagerly waited for Doug to show up. He pulled into the parking lot and I greeted this joyful man again as we went to the cafeteria to fill my tray! I got my food but Doug did not get anything! I said jokingly, "Oh man, you going to make me eat alone?" We headed out to the picnic table that was already filled with a few of the hoity-toity nurses I knew, and after a brief introduction Doug and I sat down. I began to eat and he began to talk, telling me about how God left Heaven, became
a man in a human body called Jesus, Who came to mingle, live among us and to show us the way back to the our Father God in Heaven. Then Doug said, "Randy, do you believe that?"
I stopped eating and told Doug, "Yes, I believe that!" Doug then grabbed my hands and asked me to pray with him. So, right there in September, on a picnic table outside the hospital, in Traverse City, Michigan, with a flood of tears streaming from my eyes, and three or four nurses watching, I prayed this prayer, out load with Doug. From my heart and not my head I prayed,
"Father God, please forgive me, for I have fallen short of your glory and I now do recognize that I'm a sinner and I need your help. I believe that you became a man in Christ Jesus and that you died for me, and that you were raised from the dead, all for the cleansing of my sins, never to be remembered any more, past, present and future and for the saving of my
life and giving me a way back home to you.. Amen"
Oh what a GLORLIOUS STEPTEMBER MORN! Sorry Neil, I had to change the
title!
So now what?
Say the same prayer above from your heart.
If you have not already done so and if you need me to be a Doug in your life and have any questions or comments please go to my contact info and send me an email. I will be more than willing to introduce you to the King ofkings and the Lord of lords, Jesus Christ.
In God's Love, Rand
> you as you sat in the stadiums and behind the television sets!
Why the craving for such attention? I don't really know. I don't place any blame for my dad and mom divorcing when I was only five years of age, nor for my dad going to prison for shooting an officer during a bank robbery, nor for being an overweight kid, always being looked at and ignored as something other than the perfect kid. To tell you the truth I just wanted everybody to love me because deep down in my heart I love everyone else.
Well folks, now that I look back I am glad Jesus had different plans for
me. And I know He has great plans for you also! Sometimes we don't like what takes place in our lives but Jesus, by His Spirit, is always trying to get
>us to see Him, and Him only. He is constantly saying, "Hey! I'm ALIVE and
I love you. Would you ask me into your life so I can show you what true lifeand freedom is about? I want to show all the wonderful things I have
planned for you - not only here on earth but also in eternity."
Directly after high school and serving 3 years in the Army MilitaryPolice, I was introduced into the world of weight lifting and all the trappings
that come with that lifestyle - steroids, drugs, alcohol, food, sex and PRIDE!
In early September 1983 I was working at a hospital in Traverse City, Michigan as a transporter for the physical therapy department. My job description was to go up to the patient's room and lift them up out of
their beds and bring them down to the physical therapist so he could take them through their prescribed therapy. My other job description was to steal as many steroids and drugs as I could find. You see I was looking good on the outside but I was dying on the inside . . . and God knew it. I was dying
and headed straight for Hell. I was on a one-way road to total destruction and
I knew it. Of course, there was nothing I could do about it, as I wastotally unaware of The Way that was made for me.
Then one September morning Doug Browning, a lawyer, had hurt his back playing racquetball and was emitted to the hospital for treatment and
rest.That's why the song by Neil Diamond, September Morn, brings tears and
great memories to my mind. The first day I met Doug I knew he was different thanany other patient I had met. As I would enter his room to pick him up for therapy, Doug was happy, cheerful and glad to see me! I thought this was strange! Never had I gone to someone's room who was so happy to see this
big muscle-bound guy come in to sweep them off to the torture chamber!
Well I took Doug down to the torture chamber and had him meet Dr. Jeckel and Mr. Hide and left him there for the forty minute stretching exercises as I sped off to feed my face. I was on so many steroids (abusing) at the time I was feeding my face every chance I got and was fueling up my body for my grueling workout that would take place after work was done. After the force-feeding I went back to get Doug who was still cheerful and glad tosee me again! I'm thinking to myself, "This guy must be on some pretty good drugs and I want some!" I got Doug into the wheel chair and wheeled him back to his room, got him into his bed and told him I would see him bright and early in the morning for his next torture session.
Just as I was about to leave the room he said, "Randy, while I'm here in the hospital I'm not going to eat so why don't you come up and eat my food at noon and we can talk." I said, "Sure, I'll eat my food down in the department and then I will come up and eat yours!" (Jesus knows exactly how to draw His creation back to Himself). He did it through my love of food and knowing that I would accept Doug's invitation. Folks, Jesus knows everything about you! Don't think for one minute He doesn't.
So, for the next week each noon I was up in Doug's room scarfing down his food and then he asked me a question that changed my life forever! He
said,"Randy, who is Jesus Christ to you?" I said, "I don't know, Doug, why don't you tell me!" I would listen each day as Doug faithfully told me about Jesus ' love for me as I continued to inhale the food. After the week, Doug had somewhat recovered from his injury well enough to be discharged from the hospital and to my surprise I had lost my extra noon meal! To say the
least, I was highly upset!
Two weeks later the phone rang down in the department and the nurse yelled at me, "Randy! Phone call for you!" I answered the phone and it was Doug aying he wanting to come by and buy me lunch at the hospital. He asked if we could find a picnic table and have lunch together. I agreed, thinking that I will eat my lunch before he arrives and then we can go down to the cafeteria, get lunch and sit outside, since it was such a nice September Morn.
I devoured my lunch and eagerly waited for Doug to show up. He pulled into the parking lot and I greeted this joyful man again as we went to the cafeteria to fill my tray! I got my food but Doug did not get anything! I said jokingly, "Oh man, you going to make me eat alone?" We headed out to the picnic table that was already filled with a few of the hoity-toity nurses I knew, and after a brief introduction Doug and I sat down. I began to eat and he began to talk, telling me about how God left Heaven, became
a man in a human body called Jesus, Who came to mingle, live among us and to show us the way back to the our Father God in Heaven. Then Doug said, "Randy, do you believe that?"
I stopped eating and told Doug, "Yes, I believe that!" Doug then grabbed my hands and asked me to pray with him. So, right there in September, on a picnic table outside the hospital, in Traverse City, Michigan, with a flood of tears streaming from my eyes, and three or four nurses watching, I prayed this prayer, out load with Doug. From my heart and not my head I prayed,
"Father God, please forgive me, for I have fallen short of your glory and I now do recognize that I'm a sinner and I need your help. I believe that you became a man in Christ Jesus and that you died for me, and that you were raised from the dead, all for the cleansing of my sins, never to be remembered any more, past, present and future and for the saving of my
life and giving me a way back home to you.. Amen"
Oh what a GLORLIOUS STEPTEMBER MORN! Sorry Neil, I had to change the
title!
So now what?
Say the same prayer above from your heart.
If you have not already done so and if you need me to be a Doug in your life and have any questions or comments please go to my contact info and send me an email. I will be more than willing to introduce you to the King ofkings and the Lord of lords, Jesus Christ.
In God's Love, Rand
