I became a believer in Christ in 2010. So almost 10 years now. I smoked, drank, partied you name it. Had no regard for health or God. I started to work as a hotel night auditor. I had a lot of time to think. And when it was slow I would always take a break in the lobby. And there was a bible that always set next to my chair I liked. I was not a big person on reading at all, I got through school even high school without reading a book all the way through. But this bible seemed to call out to me. It was one of those Gideon bibles that you always see in a hotel.
My mom was a avid church goer and still is. To tell you the truth I thought she was crazy! (she knows I felt this way) so she was praying every night for me. (I could feel the Holy Spirit) just did not know what it was at first. So that Gideon bible I was telling you about one day I just picked it up and started reading it and just could not put it down. Every night I would sit down there and it was just waiting for me. To make a long story short I read the whole thing in the two years I worked there. Even the so called boring parts, just could not put it down! I had a lot of time on my hands. God started working on my heart and I would notice verse here and there and I would be like, I did not know that came from the bible! It just made me want to read more. The longer I read it the more it would cut me to the heart especially when I got to the Psalms.
Man so much wisdom! I was not the fastest reader nor could I read that well but I found I had good comprehensive skills, if I did not know a word I subconsciously looked for context clues (before I even knew what a context clue was) and would muddle through. The bible basically taught me how to read. I would keep my phone by me when I would find a word that I had never seen before and did not understand even with context clues.
I would meeting weird people at night that would come in to the Hotel ( by this time I was reading in the NT. They did not know I was reading the bible because were I would sit was near a wall that kinda hid me from the front but I would look around the corner and could see the Entrance where cars would pull up. I would put the bible down and go help them. One guy asked me for coffee and I showed him where it was. Out of the blue this guy asked me Do you know any good books? Boy that got me thinking told him well the only book I have read really was the bible. "I can give you one if you need it". He said no I am sure there is one in the room. But funny thing is my boss was a Hindu and when he took over he removed all the bibles from the rooms. So I had to tell the guest this and he just laughed and went to his room said not worry about it. Thinking to my self why is this one bible the only one he forgotten about?
Few days pass and another man came in and he was with an older man that could not walk very well Payed for 4 nights and left the old man there, I Gave him one on the ground floor for easy access. Well after 3 days of him being there we did not see him that last day he spent the whole time in his room or so we thought. I came in for my shift that night and my boss was still there. He asked me about the man "have you seen him". I said no because he would always eat the free breakfast I put out before the end of my shift in the mornings. So we called the mans room to see if he had slipped out and left. No answer! So my boss sent me to his room. I knocked on the door few times and still no answer. I took my master key out and opened the door only to find him on the floor by his bed in a somewhat a fetal position and was not moving.
Oh boy I cried and ran back up to the front and got my boss. Sure enough after the paramedics got there they said he died. Then the story of the Good Samaritan came to mind and how he put a man up in a hotel and payed for his room and left him there. Wow I could not hold back the tears!! I just lived a real life bible story ! went home that Friday and straight asked my mom if I could go to church with her that weekend I told her the story and that just blew her mind! I have been praying for you son she told me! The rest is history! Haven't stopped reading the bible to this day. Was baptized after studying with the pastor a few weeks, he would come to our house. Was able to stop smoking (cold turkey) and stop drinking and did not care for parties any longer. A New heart he will give to you Amen!
My mom was a avid church goer and still is. To tell you the truth I thought she was crazy! (she knows I felt this way) so she was praying every night for me. (I could feel the Holy Spirit) just did not know what it was at first. So that Gideon bible I was telling you about one day I just picked it up and started reading it and just could not put it down. Every night I would sit down there and it was just waiting for me. To make a long story short I read the whole thing in the two years I worked there. Even the so called boring parts, just could not put it down! I had a lot of time on my hands. God started working on my heart and I would notice verse here and there and I would be like, I did not know that came from the bible! It just made me want to read more. The longer I read it the more it would cut me to the heart especially when I got to the Psalms.
Man so much wisdom! I was not the fastest reader nor could I read that well but I found I had good comprehensive skills, if I did not know a word I subconsciously looked for context clues (before I even knew what a context clue was) and would muddle through. The bible basically taught me how to read. I would keep my phone by me when I would find a word that I had never seen before and did not understand even with context clues.
I would meeting weird people at night that would come in to the Hotel ( by this time I was reading in the NT. They did not know I was reading the bible because were I would sit was near a wall that kinda hid me from the front but I would look around the corner and could see the Entrance where cars would pull up. I would put the bible down and go help them. One guy asked me for coffee and I showed him where it was. Out of the blue this guy asked me Do you know any good books? Boy that got me thinking told him well the only book I have read really was the bible. "I can give you one if you need it". He said no I am sure there is one in the room. But funny thing is my boss was a Hindu and when he took over he removed all the bibles from the rooms. So I had to tell the guest this and he just laughed and went to his room said not worry about it. Thinking to my self why is this one bible the only one he forgotten about?
Few days pass and another man came in and he was with an older man that could not walk very well Payed for 4 nights and left the old man there, I Gave him one on the ground floor for easy access. Well after 3 days of him being there we did not see him that last day he spent the whole time in his room or so we thought. I came in for my shift that night and my boss was still there. He asked me about the man "have you seen him". I said no because he would always eat the free breakfast I put out before the end of my shift in the mornings. So we called the mans room to see if he had slipped out and left. No answer! So my boss sent me to his room. I knocked on the door few times and still no answer. I took my master key out and opened the door only to find him on the floor by his bed in a somewhat a fetal position and was not moving.
Oh boy I cried and ran back up to the front and got my boss. Sure enough after the paramedics got there they said he died. Then the story of the Good Samaritan came to mind and how he put a man up in a hotel and payed for his room and left him there. Wow I could not hold back the tears!! I just lived a real life bible story ! went home that Friday and straight asked my mom if I could go to church with her that weekend I told her the story and that just blew her mind! I have been praying for you son she told me! The rest is history! Haven't stopped reading the bible to this day. Was baptized after studying with the pastor a few weeks, he would come to our house. Was able to stop smoking (cold turkey) and stop drinking and did not care for parties any longer. A New heart he will give to you Amen!
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