Judgement House Night

I literally just got out of Rick's truck and walked into my office here at the church. We just finished touring Judgement House and Rick drove me around to the front so I could collect my things. What an intense night!

First of all, it was AMAZING to know that SO MANY people (in at least 6 different states) have been praying for Rick all evening. I cannot even tell you what that means to me. And God heard our prayers. And Rick felt them. As much as I wanted to see him slip his hand up in the closing room to accept Christ as his Savior, that didn't happen. BUT GOD... (there's ALWAYS a "But God", isn't there Stefi?!) BUT GOD still worked in Rick's life tonight and I'm excited to share this with you all.

Rick walked through each room with me throughout the tour. He joked around some. I knew he was trying not to take it seriously. I knew he thought he was too cool to be there. But during Scene 4 when Staci sat at her "husbands" bedside and her "kids" told their daddy goodbye, I noticed him being awfully twitchy. I knew what God was doing. By the time we got to the closing room, he had his arm around me and he held my hand. I was praying with everything in me that the arm around my shoulders would be raised and that he'd talk with one of the pastors tonight, but he didn't. As we walked outside he asked if we could talk. He asked if he could talk to me as my friend, not as the husband I've been "having problems with". :-) He said, "As your friend, I know that you were hoping something more would happen tonight. I could feel that vibe just bouncing off of you all night. Especially in the closing room. I know you're disappointed that I didn't raise my hand. But as your friend, I want to tell you not to give up."

He walked me to his truck so he could drive me around front, but we sat and talked first. He told me that he knew I wanted him to make that decision tonight and we talked about the risk of putting off something so important. He told me that he planned to come here tonight, walk through the play, and go home. Nothing more. But he said that's not what happened. He said that the play actually touched him. He said the scene with Staci and the kids actually brought up some emotion in him... something he didn't think he would feel. He told me that he never expected to go home tonight THINKING about anything. He said things may not have gone as I wanted them to tonight, but things didn't happen the way he expected them to go either. He said that he may not have rushed to a decision immediately tonight but that I shouldn't give up... it doesn't mean he won't make one.

Seeds were planted tonight. And they weren't planted just below the surface. They were planted deep within him... in a part of his heart that hasn't been touched in years. Your prayers were heard tonight. I told him about how many of you have been praying... how people that I don't even know have received my prayer request via a forwarded email from a friend of a friend and that people from Florida to California to Alaska have been praying for him tonight. He thought that was really cool and I know it touched his heart.

Please keep praying. God is still moving, still working. And I'm still trusting. Still believing. Still waiting.