A LIFE-CHANGING EVENT

BY SARAH SCHMIDT

There is a guy who has been coming every Sunday for the past several weeks to our church in Fairbanks, Alaska. I could tell he was probably homeless by the way he dressed.

This man usually slips into the church after it has started and finds a seat towards the back of the church, away from others.

Every week he comes to church, his appearance is better, and his clothes are cleaner.

Recently during worship, I saw him crying. He was wiping a lot of tears from his eyes.

After worship was over and everyone was greeting each other, I walked over to greet him. As he returned the “hello,” I noticed that he had the warmest smile and joy in his eyes, and he seemed at peace.

I don’t know what this man had been through in his life. But I do know one thing…There is great power in changing our lives when we are near to Jesus.

In Matthew 11:28 (NIV) Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

When we go to Christ and surrender the weight we’ve carried in our lives, He promises to heal us in exchange for nothing required of us to accept this blessed life-changing gift. Jesus came into our lives to save us from our burdens. Our God is a great redeemer and a master at making us a new life in Him.

God never ceases to amaze me. Witnessing Jesus change someone else's life for the better can be life-changing for us, too!