I had enough money to take the whole club to South Padre for a week-long drunk. That’s what we did. We went and bought out a liquor store. We bought out a teacher. We gave him and his family an expense paid vacation. We left for a week long party. I remember looking at all of our friends. We’re getting drunk. My girlfriend is there. We have our own room. I’m thinking, “This is empty.”
We get back home after the trip. I talk with my girlfriend. We realize we’ve been way too physical. We weren’t even friends. So we agree to try the friend thing. We decide to go out with our friends that night, but end up at the same party. She’s talking with another guy that I couldn’t stand. My ego is the size of a football field. We start playing *quarters because I want the party to revolve around me. Before long I’m pretty drunk. I look over, and she’s talking to this guy, and I want to punch his lights out. Instead I just decide to take a walk. As I walk, I start having a dialogue with God. “Lord, my life is a mess. I’m empty. No avenue in my life seems to be bringing any kind of fulfillment and peace.”
The next morning is Easter Sunday, the one Sunday a year we go to church. I arrive home very late and very drunk. I think, “What do I do?” I walk home, and as I get to the edge of the subdivision, I sit down on the sidewalk and say, “God, this is a mess. I can’t do this anymore. If you will get me out of the mess I’m in right now, I’ll give my life to you.” About as soon as I get those words out of my mouth, a friend of mine, coming home for Easter Sunday from the University of Texas, sees me sitting on the sidewalk. He drives over and says, “Jeff, what are you doing?” I answer, “I’m drunk and lost. Will you take me home?” He says, “Yeah, I will. Hop in the car.”
I get home about 12:30am, no questions asked. The next morning is Easter Sunday, and we’re in the church. Our pastor is preaching on the power of the resurrection and what a difference maker that is. I remember sitting there, and the Lord began to speak to me through His Spirit, “Jeff, what about last night?” I’m like, “Oh, God. If I follow through on this, it’s gonna mean some real dramatic change in my life.” God is like, “Yeah, I know that.” He says, “What are you gonna do?” I’m like, “Well, you know, that could have all been a set of coincidences. It could have all been a **serendipity, and everything just falling perfectly.” Then the Lord said, “Jeff if you argue your way out of this one right now, It’s gonna be a long time until you find your way back to Me.” There in that moment something snapped and clicked. I realized that this God I always thought was so distant, that I didn’t think really cared about me, was as close as some drunk kid’s prayer in the back of a subdivision. It was at that moment that I surrendered my life to Jesus.
*drinking game which involves players bouncing a quarter off a table in an attempt to have [it] land in a certain place, usually into a shot glass.
**The occurrence and development of events by chance...
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