Meet My Friend "D"
October 16, 2022 - I am pondering some things that I learned during our trip back to LA. Steve and I went with the intention of sharing about our work with regards to Cafe Connections. I love when we are given that opportunity. However, in preparing to share with these wonderful ladies about what we do, God kept pressing on my heart NOT to merely share the "nuts & bolts" of what we do, but to share how it has impacted someone directly. That is hard to do given the fact that we just don't get to SEE many results of how this ministry may have impacted someone.
However, God knows that and He said, "tell them about your friend D". I have written about D numerous times. Currently, D has been in jail for nearly a year now. We have recently re-connected with him via mail and thru personal visits by Steve. When we went to Louisiana to share, I wrote to D and told him what I felt that the Lord wanted me to do and asked his permission to tell his story. I told him that my talk would be called, "Meet my friend D". He was thrilled and said, "Miss Ann, if you think that my story could help someone, I would like it very much for you to tell them that". So, that's what I did.
That morning as I was preparing to share, God showed me something that just kind of blew me away. Me, Steve & D's lives were an orchestrated event by God nearly 50 yrs ago. Especially mine and D's meeting. In 1974, while I was in high school, a horrible crime was committed in this area where a 12 year old was kidnapped and murdered. I remember it vividly because of the nature of the crime and because my dad was part of the search and rescue team who was looking for her. That girl was D's cousin. At the time, he was in prison. When the perpetrator of that crime was caught and tried, they mistakenly put him in the same cell block area as D, and D is the one who took matters into his own hands and killed him while in prison.
Now, fast forward to 8 years ago. We found D sitting on the bench outside the cafe. Mine and Steve's lives have been forever changed because of our relationship with D. D has taught us both how to pursue someone with the Gospel. Webster's meaning of the word pursue means to: To follow in an effort to overtake or capture; chase; to strive to gain or accomplish; to proceed along the course of; follow. Can I say, it ain't been easy. LOL There have been times that we wanted to scream with regards to D. We have been frustrated. We have bought clothes, taken him to lunch, fed him at the cafe, we tried to guide and instruct, and personally, I have cried buckets over this man. I have held his hands and prayed over him while he was on a heroin high. There have been many days that I wanted to tell him quite frankly, "to go to hell", especially if he were so hell bent on going there. I thank God that he put his hand over my mouth at those times and didn't let me give up.
Pursue......yes, we have pursued our friend D relentlessly. When we returned from Louisiana, we had received another 10 page letter from him and here is an excerpt that made Steve and I cry again. This time in a good way.
He writes:
"I want to thank you and Steve for believing in me. Jesus has really changed me and showed me that I am nothing without him. I honestly believe in my heart that God allowed me to be brought up like I was and to go through what I have so that maybe me telling my stroy that someone might take notice and say to themselves, "hey, if God can change D, surely there's gotta be some hope for me. Just because I GAVE MY LIFE TO CHRIST (my emphasis), doesn't give me a license to keep on willfully committing sin. No, when you repent you won't want to do things that you know are wrong. I've told y'all that there was a time when I could not go to sleep because of the things I had done and the foolishness that was always on my mind. Now, I can lay down and go right to sleep. That happens for anyone who will just put their faith and trust in him. It doesn't happen overnight but I am learning that by reading the WORD, it washes your mind out and gives you so many wonderful and different things to think on. Now everyday that I wake up I look forward to what God is going to teach me today. I think I have found the answers I was looking for about Jesus. For some reason I didn't understand how to go about talking to Jesus. I've always heard people pray "Heavenly Father" or "Father God" and then end the prayer with "In Jesus name". That just confused me cause I wanted a relationship with him. It just came to me to just talk to him. So that's what I have been doing. As I read the Bible with the letters in red, I can sense Jesus talking to me on my level. I thank God that he used two of his angels here on earth to open my eyes. I am learning that nothing in this world can satisfy the human heart. Isn't this true? I am keeping my mind on things above. I wouldn't give two wooden nickels for everything that causes evil down here. I don't play. Especially, with God. I'm not the same D that I used to be. Ann, thank you for being so open and down to earth with me. Your message didn't go over my head. It went right inside my heart where I will keep it."
Thank you for praying for D. Please keep it up. If you want to send him a letter of encouragement, please send to us at:
Cafe Connections
319 E Main St
Pickens, SC 29671
Sharing the Gospel is messy work at times. Keep at it. Pursue. Don't give up. Ask God to manage your expectations. Stay connected to God as you pursue the one He has laid on your heart. You're going to need to his help physically, spiritually and emotionally and above all be real and authentic.
