If you missed the previous blogs in Justin's story see links at the end!
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| "These Are Their Tears" By Justin Showing how God transforms our tears into beauty |
My God
By: Justin Bee
My God, Your name is most precious among names
Your good- is our perfect
Your words of creation are not to comprehend
Your Truth is just
You allow choice, You provide options
Lord, You set in motion all things from the beginning to the end
The air I breath is perfect
My flow of blood: Graceful
Your teachings are unforgettable
Belief fuels faith and Your faith performs miracles
Answers to all questions are within Your words
God Your power is superior, beyond imagination
Your glory IS only
Your Son was and is our Savior
Your will is sometimes mystery
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
In Jesus Name- I live
When Justin handed me his note book with the following story in it, I flipped to the page before it
and found the above prayer and instantly was transfixed by the raw honesty and sincerity of it- but more than that, by the truth. As the fourth line says, God's truth is just- it's always just. From my very first encounter with Justin, I gave him the nickname "Justice", since after all it's what his name means. Often when I write him, I put Justin Justice Bee. God changed Abram’s "high father" name to “Abraham,” "father of a multitude" (Genesis 17:5) and his wife’s name from “Sarai,” “my princess,” to “Sarah,” “mother of nations” (Genesis 17:15). God changed Jacob’s "supplanter" name to “Israel,” “having power with God” (Genesis 32:28). He changed Simon’s "God has heard" name to “Peter,” "rock" (John 1:42). There is something to your name. Around here we call Matt, Kansas and in a way it wipes clean your past and gives you a new identity. When we surrender our lives to Christ "behold, all things become new" but what I find interesting, especially with the story you are about to read is how often times we find God there, in our past, when we look back, gently calling us forward, leading us even before we knew Him. After all, He is the Master Carpenter, and in cases such as Justin's story here, we see His beautiful handiwork taking shape.
This story started out as a memory and as Justin dug deeper into it, he saw God's hand on this day and set out to reenact it to the best of his ability that he might document the powerfulness of God moving in his life before he called Him Savior.
March 17th
On my way down here to the class room I prayed to God that as I go to write this memory, He would help me to separate what actually happened that day, from anything that I might accidentally over expound upon just to make a better story. Also, that the truth that I see in God's presence in my life, even before I knew He was there, I will be able to express to the exact conclusion that I have personally made from the experience.
I was 21 or 22, and while I can't remember the entire day, (as in before and after the actual events of the story) the first thought to the last and everything in between are very dear to me still.
I had many close friends at the time- well, actually, looking back, not very close at all I guess. I should say, I cared about many friends I had in those days.
The unique experience started when I was driving down the road one day, I just got this feeling that I should call my friend Krista, only, I didn't know why. I couldn't shake this feeling, so I went ahead and called her. The first thing, well, the only thing I could think to say was, "Is everything okay?" She answered with shock- something like, "How did you know? Who told you my aunt died?" I said, "nobody, I just had this strong feeling that I should call you for some reason." She told me that her aunt had just passed away that night saying how crazy it was that I called her out of nowhere, knowing something was wrong.
After I got off the phone with her, I pulled over into the next parking lot, which was right down the road in between Sugarcamp and Dry Run on RT 50. Little did I know at the time that the Teen Challenge Women's home was directly across the street. I only know that I felt compelled to get out of my truck, kneel down on the curb of the parking lot and start to pray. I can't remember what I prayed, but immediately after I stood up and returned to my truck I remembered where her aunt lived. I had been there once, only one time, and had never met this woman, but all I wanted to do was be there- somehow.
On my way over, I was lead to stop at Meijer to get something to show her family that... well..., I'm not even sure... I didn't really know what I was doing or why I was doing it, but it felt right. So as I went into the store, I realized I had no idea what I could get. I walked outside to the garden center when I turned and saw these beautiful, bright orange flowers. Instantly I
knew they were perfect, so they were the ones I bought. It felt odd that I was about to take these flowers to her husband, who I also did not know and had never met. I almost turned around and didn't go through with it, but I felt like I just had to.
As I arrived at her street, there were people outside so I drove past and didn't stop because I didn't know them, nor did they know me. So I turned around and drove back up; this time, there was no one outside. I thought I would just place them on the sidewalk and go- and I did so- only as I was getting back into my truck, a man opened the front door and just looked at me. As a stranger in the driveway of someone who had just passed away, all I could say was, "I brought some flowers", and pointed to them. In return, the only reply he could make was, "Thank you." Then I just got in my truck and left.
This was all so very weird because looking back on the entire thing, I really didn't want to do like, any of it- from the phone call (which I didn't want to do at first but then had to), to the prayer, and then the flowers I saw and thought, "no, those won't work." I just kept hearing a voice telling me where to go, which flowers to pick- every single thing I did felt like it meant something. I don't know exactly what but those specific flowers meant something. Maybe it was the strong orange color of them, the type or the reason I chose the one with three flowers verses the one with only a single blossom.
I've never seen that man, neither been to that house since. I know it was some sort of message for her family, from God. I never told anyone of the flowers, not even Krista. Somehow I didn't feel it would be right to tell people what I had done. Only now looking back on it all, I know why... because it wasn't me that did it, it was God using me to do what He wanted.
Matthew 25:40 says, "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me."
Justin didn't know at the time that he was being Jesus that day, or that he was doing it to Jesus as well, he just obeyed. It was Justin's obedient spirit that answered the call to accept Jesus as Lord over his life, to enter Teen Challenge, and to walk upright before Him daily. If only we all could have such an obedient spirit. To be His hands, to be His feet, speak His words- to do unto the least of them! Go out and "Bee" those things today!
As always, remember that Jesus is that beautiful light that expels all darkness!
Till next time- the Carpenter's Daughters and Sons love yall!
Previous blogs: His Crown Jesus the Carpenter: Making a Heroin Addict a Hero
| The above photo was taken of Justin with the painting "Calvary" by Stephen Sawyer, www.art4god.com it has literally save Justin's life- and countless others' I'm sure. |
Steve posted this on his Facebook page along with the following:
A YOUNG MAN NEEDING SPONSORS
"Justin is a 24 year old guy, who has been secretly battling a severe heroin addiction for the past 5 years.
After accepting Christ in Nov. ’13 he saw the painting "Calvary" posted on a friend’s blog. He was overwhelmed with emotion, he couldn't stop staring at it and felt the Lord speak to him saying, “It’s time”.He sat his friends down, opening up to them about his past. They got him "Calvary" for Christmas and it has become one of his most prized possessions. As a result of that chance glance, he has entered the Teen Challenge program- in his own words- he wants to come out, “looking like Jesus, acting like Jesus and talking like Jesus.” This painting has literally saved Justin’s life; you can see with the huge smile on his face he is doing amazing! Justin is in desperate need of sponsors to help finance his stay in what they call the “Jesus Factory”. If you are interested, you can send a donation in the name of Justin Bee to: Teen Challenge Cincinnati, P.O. Box 249, Milford, OH 45150 or for more information e-mail Masfaith3@aol.com " Thank all of you for reading this and considering helping someone. They contacted me, thanked me for my work, and hoped for some assistance in a very difficult and brave recovery. The photo and comments in quotations are from them.
Stephen
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