Hydrate

If Only One…Worth It All!  By Director: Tim Beck

Amber was her name. I didn’t see her as I preached. During the altar call there were over 280 people standing before me. I spoke to them about confessing, believing, and surrendering. Surrender… yes, surrender. True conversion only occurs when we fully surrender. It is still an all or nothing Gospel. We must preach it the way Jesus did. After sharing with them, we prayed and as we prayed, tears fell. Close to three hundred individuals were passing from death to life that very moment. Then I gave the microphone to our field-coordinator, John Douglas and he proceeded to stress the importance of discipleship.

I quickly existed the stage and made my way to the bleachers. I was getting a birds-eyes view of the Harvest and thanking the Lord for His faithfulness. As I was thanking the Lord, a young lady tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I could pray with her friend. I said I would be honored too. She then led me to Amber, a 15 year old girl with her head in her hands sobbing. At first, I tried to speak with her, but she was way too upset to communicate with me. Her friend began to tell me her story. I then stopped this friend and spoke directly to Amber. I told her that I was willing to listen, if she was willing to talk. Then, I shared with her that I cared more deeply that she realized and that God brought my team and me to her school to share His love for her. Almost immediately, she wiped her tears and began to talk.

She told me she has felt abandonment all her life. Amber said she didn’t even know if her parents wanted her. Loneliness filled her life. She then told me that she had been a cutter. As I listen to her story my heart broke and I knew that if this event was just for her, it was worth it all. I then reminded her of my story that I told during the school assembly. Her story and mine were so very similar because from age 11 to 15, I too felt abandonment and suffered with loneliness. This gave me an opportunity to relate with her. I told Amber that when I called on the name of Jesus at 15, abandonment and loneliness fled from my life and I have never been the same. I asked her if she prayed with me from the stage and she told me, no. I quickly discerned why. I told her she didn’t even trust God and she completely agreed. She was so scared to let Him in, because she felt He would treat her as man has. I was able to assure her that God was not like man. That He would never leave her, forsake her, hurt her, or abandon her. I shared God’s promises in the Word for her and encouraged her to try Jesus.

Amber then prayed with me and asked Jesus to be the Savior and Lord of her life.  As we prayed, I felt the power of God fill the emptiness inside of her. Her countenance completely changed after we prayed. She told me that she felt abandonment and loneliness leave her as Jesus filled her. From that moment on, Amber will never be alone. Jesus, her Redeemer and best friend, will be with her until the end. These are the stories of Hydrate. Every event has people. Every person has a name. Every name has a story and in every story, Jesus is intervening with His power and grace.