The story of Oscar continues...
One night this week, I was following up Bible study interests. It was eight o'clock and I had two people that I needed to see. I was praying for wisdom and was about to go to the one on the other side of the town when the Holy Spirit impressed me. "Go visit Oscar." Now I recognized that voice and I was not about to hesitate again.
I knock on his door and he welcomes me into his house like a long-lost friend. Surprised, I sit down on the couch with him and he begins to tell me about some spiritual conversations he had just had with his college-aged son. For lack of time, I can't go into the details of that conversation; but I am amazed at his deep love for God and commitment to share that with his family even when they don't seem to really care. As I shared with him the first study on prophecy and how that shows God's love for us, he already knew everything. Clearly, he has spent a lot of time studying his Bible.
Near the end of our conversation, he wanted to see the books that we carry as well. I pull out the Great Controversy and tell him about it. A puzzled look comes over his face as he tells me, "I had a really big book in Spanish that sounds really similar to this book. It was called El Conflicto de los Siglos (Spanish Great Controversy)." Shocked, I confirm that this is the same book in English. Now it was his turn to get excited. He said, "Prophecy is the reason why I believe the Bible to be true. The reason why I know so much about the Bible and prophecy is because of this book (Great Controversy)." I proceed to ask him where he got it from and he told me that his aunt was a Seventh-day Adventist, the only one in the family; and he got it from her after she passed away.
But the story gets even more interesting. I pull out Lessons of Love (Christ's Object Lessons). Oscar gets excited again and exclaims, "I have that book!" He goes to his room and returns with a well-worn, practically loose leaf copy of the book. Apparently he got it in a book store somewhere and has thoroughly enjoyed studying it.
Oscar then opened up and proceeded to tell me his life story. God has truly rescued him from a life of drugs, girls, and gangs and has given him a solid faithful relationship with his wife and family. At least five times, he has either been stabbed or shot-several of them life-threatening-and God saved him from them. He is now a serious Bible student and is doing all he can to set a good example for his family and to try to make up for time that he lost when they were younger.
Clearly, God has been preparing Oscar for something big. I don't know the plans God has for him, but I know that he is listening to God's voice. Both Oscar and I realize that it is no coincidence that we met. Now I know there are no "what if's" in God's plan, but "what if" I had walked up to his house 1 minute before he pulled in to his driveway. We would never have become friends and I would never have known God's amazing story in his life. And I know that his story is not over yet...
"God will soon do great things for us if we lie humble and believing at His feet. . . . More than one thousand will soon be converted in one day, most of whom will trace their first convictions to the reading of our publications." {CM 151.3}
How many other Oscars are there out there? Will you go and find them? God will lead you to them, but you must be willing.
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