Old Dogs, New Tricks

    Have you ever seen a skeptic converted?  Well, now you have.  I have to admit that for some time I have been a skeptic about the Homecoming and Gospel Rally at MACU, my alma mater. It was formerly, when I attended, Roanoke Bible College.  Since graduation, I have attended sporadically but I have never made it a priority.  Most of my reasons were fairly legitimate. Like most of you, I lead a busy life with ministry or career demands. I have a relatively large family.  There's seldom enough time in the day to do all I need to do.  So it was easy to crowd Gospel Rally out of my To Do list.  I did not really see it as a valuable priority. Until now.
    I made it a priority this year. I was speaking in Delaware and had to drive straight in on Thursday. It took some scheduling and planning and jumping through hoops.  Just what you need, more hoop jumping, right?  But it was worth it. I needed to be there, I just didn't know how much.
    At the moment, my life is in a state of flux. We are attempting to get to know a new church family while constantly on the road and preparing to embark on one of the most, thrilling, terrifying, and faith-stretching adventures of our lives.  I had no idea how much I needed some familiarity, some stability, some comfort.  I needed to see some old familiar faces in some old familiar places.  God used that day and half to remind me that I'm not alone. We have support. There are people who are going through the same things, and there are those who have gone before. We are surrounded by a "great cloud of witnesses." So we will continue to fix our eyes on Jesus and not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)
    Don't misunderstand me.  If you didn't have time, I understand. If life was too busy, I understand. If your kid was sick, I understand. I'm not here to beat you down or guilt you. I'm here to say, it helped me; maybe it will help you. 
    So next year, if you can find time, do it.  Make it a priority. Like me, maybe you will find strength for the journey, a smile from an old friend, or a hug from an amazing saint. Possibly you'll hear that gentle whisper that you wouldn't have heard if you had not run far away for just a couple of days.
    You don't often see skeptics change, but I'm glad this one did.