I was born the first time in 1954 in southern Guilford County, near Greensboro, NC. This part of North Carolina has long been known for the numerous Quaker or Friends meetings that were established in the 1700’s. My family had that heritage.
I am eternally grateful to God that I grew up in a Christian family. My parents saw to it that I was under the sound of God’s Word from my earliest memories. My mother made sure that her kids were cleaned up and in Sunday School on the Lord’s Day–no small task when there were six of us to be accounted for. I remember regular teen meetings as I grew older, as well as various gospel campaigns. I recall “going forward” several times at some of the crusades–but I did not have any real assurance of my salvation.
In 1972, the Lord allowed a beautiful young influence into my life by the name of Peggy. I soon acquired a desire to stand close enough to this young lady so that I might help hold her hymnbook. After all, it was a very heavy hymnbook for such a tiny little thing! It was in this way that I fell in among a strange group of believers that only wanted to be called Christians, and nothing else.
These peculiar people were also insistent that before we got married (by that time Peggy had decided that I would be allowed to hold her hymnbook on a permanent basis), we should talk with one of the elders about the biblical view of marriage. In the course of this counseling session, it became apparent that my future bride had a clear testimony of her salvation…but I did not! I came to realize that I could not say for sure that I was saved and on my way to heaven.
This began for me a time of very real soul searching about my eternal state. After several weeks of agonizing over my spiritual condition–not being able to sleep, not having any peace–it came to a head as I drove to work one morning. I knew that I had to settle this matter before the Lord. I was under such deep conviction of sin, I could wait no longer. But, where to go? I was at work by this time with no place of privacy, except the men’s rest room. Would the Lord save me in such a place as that? And then I remembered…
As a boy in school, years before, we would go into the boys’ bathroom before school, to laugh at a strange sight. We could see, almost any day, the worn shoes of the old custodian, protruding from the privacy of his prayer closet, as he poured out his heart to God.
As I bowed my head to confess my sins, and receive Christ as my Saviour, I realized that the grace of God is not limited to certain times or special places! Blessed be His name! The Savior of sinners will work in a repentant heart any time and in any place–even a men’s rest room!
POSTSCRIPT
Recently I began to wonder about that custodian from my school days. Was he with the Lord? Had God left him here to continue his life as a prayer warrior? How many children had he prayed for over the years?
A few questions asked in the right places (guided by the Holy Spirit) can be very revealing. The Lord had left Johnny Johnson here to continue praying! He has retired as a custodian but not as a man of prayer. On the first trip to his home to visit, he was away at a prayer meeting!
Subsequently, he remembered with a chuckle the old days of prayer in the boy’s room at school. Only eternity will reveal the extent of the fruit of his labors, but I can personally attest to the fact that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”