%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 19 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 15 0 R /I2 16 0 R /I3 23 0 R /I4 24 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 17 0 R /GS2 18 0 R /GS3 21 0 R /GS4 22 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 1.0.2 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250613192641+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250613192641+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1764 >> stream xX]o}F߶%m;inm Eh8DudݞKى}(`,胗{;HDQDvH5=t1x-"zWu_~GV&Ӄr~2GUIg"]ZE[PL_>*21(9"["(qbQ+*"ƪ>Jǿ"J&W)u+3G;D07w{"c#`,J}'wz3LXпP ,Y)u"udM+I''ė6GkUO5-+!/ ?~7:G\r9U2~ȑd(^oZ~lnP֑*c[zjU_0W" !+jv8ٞюCc:r&>KDZ$8FZ}QG:șV *aktcc3 Fz!b(8Fx8]32d oIILG%{9my+%B¨l/Gkת=mnҕe Qt:mz'Bs@q< ѩ;RmeI*jj_AqFQh3Zr{M60OZ.S#1{AYjca*BuE8ջY-= ڇ LLr6Es7t`lX#C03fvgIC;-VDZM?d*$ΰf=e{5fMcx1]P'$GP V /5~GJBOo7x]+׆,Ud+%Q*YIrg1lZ@8Ywv ?p]5NIHe6c 2+abT[:mpy#;axbRՉ@(喞Sg AV9Kq,{;8'&XS\>V|G鹏E $t'ƐOӘGzuJ9 >C~=t7*jt8$=7J;~?a\:V 8#T jf84K,[ܟ|1l i=Jq6,Zn~z@h׳ _@']1/$I}JSM7 .4&<} M04psSI>£J?u$Dq+ϗQ;*EVps5u7=7,O?%7KRZ endstream endobj 8 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F1 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 20 0 R >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1614 >> stream xWnF}W@y<ͥ h/MVJbDrYҊM w{fI)"v _(ܙ33g^^B{..~h|ߧ-EY.2-琂vMǓmI)dAw;* U?ܲ08JssWd l%0#}Sƒ|ߪk'IRf3WQӹ~L4Ll^N>'L={Z)ҹl 2VrݕQ}3+Uު‰%"v`K*r68_|YU3FGRwzKb/ CG ;dQ6CfmJTx/ 5@{|Jmh+ ~,7oo-΅)Zzw`BE"+?*8ќp57C~=}|r Uѯ׿|OԚ\!T!{iIV Ee;Zr7ؔ OlՍR;m_?ՖZFh򲵨Nw.D(M~z[#TM}˾Zjs9aO^S夳`QS&E"}#Ku TKp5ipj{`jf5YIҦ$L-[PhqEt"cSjUwڰC?^fS`Mʙ+&hLݦ VeF1g(&+`Pla$Uo& 0JtVE7R`ʵH\!tyiGFt(We{kԚuM^t)W0hNFʊ OЗ\BkqdÚF$"?TԜ[)g֭Otn WMm'q[B۸]Hqjia䈪2*۲(l{Ogۉ/T_>Y 'U+W{hw8$о"܏efZ#:.Mo4kԞ>8p/ƒF @5#<0y.kL᥋~/EDZ1jW?i ^Q4OakVKhV1?6 lZ4B0>j bvdTsffx].یy%QyEHTB S-h(šmkהUA T5g7KOU_VȳbfP.19H"8[e5 $kWuSIю, Z5vmZYl̶ Z-\TFlL[+&U[I>s_Bi#p&:F7o*K*sZ6[F.>l;9H0G )P[ gn뾚cC*]x0s1o4tZEk'0pkqx>ItBcZ}uy[ի/nsėl _`E-Qcp0CNar`S/O}^'P endstream endobj 21 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 22 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 23 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj xref 0 25 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000461 00000 n 0000000498 00000 n 0000000647 00000 n 0000000750 00000 n 0000002587 00000 n 0000002702 00000 n 0000002809 00000 n 0000002918 00000 n 0000003028 00000 n 0000003141 00000 n 0000003170 00000 n 0000003280 00000 n 0000008855 00000 n 0000009986 00000 n 0000010045 00000 n 0000010104 00000 n 0000010209 00000 n 0000011897 00000 n 0000011954 00000 n 0000012011 00000 n 0000017586 00000 n trailer << /Size 25 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[<50bf7315a2c2e7db4e1c1c72701739ad><50bf7315a2c2e7db4e1c1c72701739ad>] >> startxref 18717 %%EOF Finding a friend in Jesus | Caring Magazine

Vol. #28

Grace Uncovered

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

Finding a friend in Jesus

March 3, 2008
3 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

In Process

by Glen Doss, Major –

Glen Doss, Major

“What if all the Bible-thumpers are correct? There’s no one left to turn to except this God in whom so many seem to believe. It would be foolish to give up, to die, without exploring the possibility!” With this thought in mind, 21 years ago I turned to God as an alternative to giving in to suicidal compulsions.

After my dramatic first encounter with him that August evening at age 39, I set out to talk with God a second time, sensing that an ongoing dialogue with him was absolutely necessary. However, I hadn’t a clue how to proceed. I hadn’t knelt in prayer for three decades but finally, through a forceful act of willpower, I flung myself out of bed, and, kneeling awkwardly, pondered: “Now what do I do?”

As long moments passed, nothing seemed to happen. For 10, 15, 30 minutes I knelt there, intermittently perusing verses from the Gospel of John, finally resigning myself to the fact I was not going to succeed this evening.

Over the following days I continued to read Scripture and try to pray, still without success. Two weeks after my initial encounter with the Lord, I broached the subject in a phone conversation with my mother. “Mama, I accepted Christ,” I told her.

She gasped, “You have? Praise God! Son, do you have any idea how long our church has been praying for you? God has finally answered our prayers!”

Images of these faithful country folk flashed through my mind, and I was very grateful.
“Mama, how do you pray? “ I asked. “I’ve been trying for days, and nothing seems to work.”
She laughed. “Why, you just talk to God the way you do to a friend. Just open your mouth and speak with him, or do it silently—either way. It’s very simple.”

I was startled. “Okay,” I replied. “You’ve been helpful.”

As I left the phone booth, my mother’s words kept running through my mind: “You just talk to God the way you do to a friend.” This sounded very odd. I pondered: This is the Creator of the universe of whom we’re speaking! I am the creature; he is the Creator. Does the Creator condescend to befriend his own creation? God creates life! Does he really befriend the very life he creates?”

I tried to make sense of the concept. Suddenly I recalled words of Christ I had recently read: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13 NIV). As if ice water were splashed into my face, I got the point: God took on human form; he tasted death for all mankind; he took the punishment due us upon himself—the Creator died for his own creation! He did lay down his life for his friends. He considers me his friend! The grandeur of the epiphany froze me in my tracks: Christ died for me—yes, even me—because he considers me his friend!

I was humbled by this insight, because for decades I had been anything but a friend to Jesus. The enormity of the revelation took me off guard. Moments later, kneeling again by my cot, the passage from John 15 open before me, I reread the words. Suddenly I sensed God’s presence in the room and trembled at the realization! Giddy from the sensation, I prayed aloud, extemporaneously speaking with my new friend: “Dear God, here’s my situation. I know you know it already, but I want to talk about it with my friend.”

Baring my soul from the very core of my being, I gradually felt the tension in my body subside and the burning burden of my heart melt away. As God accepted my burden, I laughed aloud from the pure joy of the experience! “So this is what it means to ‘turn it over’!” I thought. “Thank you, God!” I cried aloud.

As air gushes from a balloon, the remaining pressure left me. Exiting the building, I dashed down the street, my face into the wind. Skipping, leaping, I felt nine feet off the ground, walking on air! “Thank you, God!” I shouted again. People on the pavement turned and stared, but I cared little what they thought—I was alive with Christ! I had learned how to talk with my new friend! My wonderful, divine friend!

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like