"Hope is one of the Theological virtues. This means that a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is."

- C.S. Lewis
"Hello, My Name is Van"

I absolutely love redemption stories.

The following is from Steve McCoy of Reformissionary. This is from an article he wrote on The High Calling website:

In the winter of 1994, I left my apartment in Carbondale, Illinois, and drove to the Baptist Student Center on the campus of Southern Illinois University. My wife, Molly, was not feeling well and decided to stay home. We had spent the past few months searching for spiritual truth and meaning, reading the Bible, and praying. I hoped this advertised "God meeting" on campus might be helpful. So Molly rested, and I left.

The building seemed empty, and I thought about just leaving as I tried to open a few locked doors. I found an open one around back and saw about a dozen students inside. At first glance, they didn't seem like my kind of crowd. I was into partying. They looked like they were into honors algebra. Still I walked in.

A few of them noticed my deer-in-headlights look, welcomed me, and gave me a stick name tag. Three guys were talking in the corner, so I walked over and stood next to a tall guy whose name tag was nearly level with my eyes. "Hello, My Name Is . . . Van."

Trying to fit in, I said, "How's it going, Van?"

"I'm blessed," he said, grinning. It was one of the oddest responses I’d ever heard, and one of the best.

I made it through the meeting, and they invited me to church on Sunday. My wife and I decided to go, and we both responded to the Gospel with repentance and faith. We began new lives in Christ.
Read the whole thing - it's good.

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Comments on ""Hello, My Name is Van"":
1. Quaid - 01/03/2007 9:40 pm CST

I like this line in the link:

"So sink deep into the comfort of God and the knowledge of his goodness, and you will see your work through new eyes."

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