“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble..” (I Cor 1:26)
I had been saved about three or four months and God had already done great things in my life. I left my home town of Los Banos and the team that was still there and I went through a DTI at the Agape Force headquarters in Sebastopol. But I was having a hard time.
I had abused my mind with so much sin and so many drugs that I found it really difficult to concentrate. My mind would wander. I was willing, but I was really fried. I wondered many times if God would be able to use me. I wondered if I was worth the effort that God and these people were investing in me. Perhaps there was not enough left of my mind to salvage. I decided, though, that whatever I had left I would give to God.
One day the school staff took us to hear Joy Dawson speak. For some reason we were late getting to the church and had to sit way up in the balcony because the church was packed.
By the time we got seated Joy was already preaching. She seemed odd to me. I was so new to all this that everything seemed odd to me. There she was, dressed in a long, flowing dress and speaking with her New Zealand accent. I just kind of mentally shrugged and thought, “This is okay, I guess. This is fine.”
Suddenly, right in the middle of her message, she stopped. Then in a moment she said, “The Holy Spirit has just showed me that He wants to heal somebody’s mind. He’s showing you right now who you are.”
My heart started racing, and I knew it was me.
“Young man,” she went on, “I want you to stand up and receive your healing.”
I didn’t move.
She made the appeal several more times and then pointed into the balcony. “You’re sitting right up there, young man, stand up and receive your healing. Way up in the balcony.” I was afraid to stand because I didn’t know what was going to happen.
Pretty soon somebody else stood up and I thought I was off the hook, but she said. “No, it’s not you. Maybe God has something for you, too, but the young man who knows God is going to heal his mind stand up.”
Finally I stood up. Instantly it was as if somebody was pouring warm oil over my head. Nobody touched me, but I just felt this wonderful sensation flowing over me. When I sat down again I knew that God had really touched me. Sure enough, after that I was able to think straight and concentrate. To me that was such wonderful proof of how sovereign God is. He saw something, but what? Why? There were about two thousand people there. Certainly others needed healing.
I wasn’t anything special. I wasn’t especially deserving. Yet God called me out and touched me. How could I not serve Him? How could I not follow hard after Him? How could I not tell others of His wonderful love?
Robert Duran