People Who Have Influenced Me

People Who Have Influenced My Life-If I thought about it, I am sure that I
could think of people who influenced my life before the stroke. However, for
this blog, I will focus solely on some people who, during or after I became a born-again
Christian, have impacted my life. And some who presently are.

First, and foremost, is the fellow that God used to bring salvation to me.
Even if he had not been obedient, I know God would have used somebody else
to tell me about Jesus and bring salvation to a very desperate situation.
Still, I am very grateful as he certainly did change the course of my life.
He also influenced me in another way. He didn't just see me become a
Christian and then just leave me alone to sink or swim on my own. In those
early days of me being a Christian, we spent a lot of time together and,
once I started attending church, at first he was driving me to church.

The next people who influenced my life was the couple who got me started
attending church. For the first year or so, I didn't go to church as I
didn't think it was possible. Then, I got a visit from some friends who, at
the time, lived in Medicine Hat. They are born-again Christians so, come
Sunday, they wanted to go to church. The only church I knew was the where
the person instrumental in my becoming a Christian went. They attended in
the morning and enjoyed it so much that they took me to the evening service.
I don't remember how but they got me there somehow. Since then I have been a
regular attender at my present church. While I do believe that, if God had
wanted me to be in this particular church, He would have brought it to pass
somehow, the part my friends played in getting me to church has had a
tremendous influence on my life.

Starting to go to church was very exciting for me but, like most newer
Christians, I still had a lot to learn. One person who had a major influence
on my life was the man who would, in those early days, came to the hospital and
teach me out of the Bible. To be honest, I think my love for the Bible, or
at least part of it, arose from his enthusiastic teaching of the Bible to
me.

Over the years, I have had different people who drove me to church. They
have had a big influence on my life by making sure I have been at church as
often as possible so I could learn more and more about God and the Bible
from the speaker. I suspect that there have been times , especially  when it
was bitterly cold, that it would have been easier not to bother with me but,
bless them, they have always made an effort, despite difficult
circumstances, to get me to church.

I have already seen two pastors leave and my present one is the third since
I started attending the church that I am presently attending. They all have
had a great influence on me. At first, the pastor helped me get to know God
and the Bible, then he helped me to grow in that knowledge and, now that I
have been a Christian for quite awhile, gives me fresh insights that I don't
get from my personal study. Also, a rebuke when I need it. A habit that I
have developed over the years is that, when I go to church, I see the pastor
as just a mouthpiece who God is using to speak to us/me. So I listen to hear
what God is specifically speaking to me.

Then I have or have had what I call special friends. Over the years, there have always been a few people who have really "gone the extra mile" for me. They are the ones who spend time with me at Long-term Care. Maybe it is to visit or some come and just read to me. I can't read books myself so that is something that l really enjoy. Most of my special friends use my speech board well enough that we can have an actual conversation. I enjoy that as, because of the difficulty in communication, it is not something that I get to do very often. Some of my special friends also take me out, maybe to eat or maybe to shop or a function of some kind. Much as I love going to church, it means a lot to me to go other places as well.

Finally, I must mention the nurses. Let's face it. I have spent more time in Long-term Care than anywhere else. Most of them are not Christian but I have always felt that they respect my beliefs. Probably the biggest influence that they have had on my life is their caring. I see how they care for people who don't always have a lot of people to care about them. I have days where my emotions are running wild and I feel like nobody cares about me. Then, it is comforting to know that they, at least, care-even if I am not being very likeable.

I admit that, at times, I feel like I am going through this all alone. (Except for God) So it is good for me to remember all the people who have influenced my life in the past as well as those that are still being a major influence.