From Messy To Meaningful

ministry out of the box

by monica schmelter — WWW.MONICASCHMELTER.COM

I REMEMBER BEING WARNEDWHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL

NOT TO PLAY WITH MATCHES.

Thankfully, I never did. I do remember the joy of birthday parties and the scramble to find a book of matches to light the candles. Why did my parents look in the junk drawer last? Little did I know as a child about the kind of fire that could be lit in your heart when you make Jesus your Savior.

My parents thought a Christian school would be a good idea for a troubled teen like me.

When I was fourteen years old I started the ninth grade in a private Christian school. I wasn’t a Christian, and I had zero interest in believing the Bible. My parents thought a Christian school would be a good idea for a troubled teen like me. They hoped it would help me meet a different crowd of people and make better decisions.

On a Mission To Ruin My Life

By the time I was 13, I had already run away from home. I skipped school frequently and experimented with drugs occasionally. Clearly, I wasn’t on a good path, but you couldn’t convince

me of that. I thought my teachers, counselors and parents were on a mission to cramp my style and ruin my life.

The days seemed long at my small Christian school. I deemed chapel as boring and the dress code a fashion disaster. The students were friendly enough, but I had nothing in common with them.

Unfazed by My Tough Exterior

One student, Leslie, went out of her way to connect with me. She seemed unfazed by my tough exterior. One day, she handed me a cute card in which she had written, “I am praying for you.” I appreciated the card, but I turned around and complained to fellow classmates that I didn’t want to be bothered by that Jesus stuff.

I’m not sure why, but when Leslie invited me to a movie night at her church I said yes. I remember the movie touched my heart. When it was over, the pastor asked us to bow our heads and raise our hands if we wanted prayer. I lifted my hand. When the pastor asked all who raised their hands to come forward, I did not budge.

Weeks later. my family was invited to church by a friend of my mom’s. This time my whole family, including my Muslim grandfather, his second wife and their four children, attended as well.

“I started my prayer box when I was 14. My dad was an atheist and my grandfather, a Muslim, I prayed and shared Christ every opportunity I had.”— Monica to Leading Hearts

The church was hosting a healing service. My younger brother has Down Syndrome and was hospitalized frequently for other health related ailments. Out of love for my brother, we all attended the service. I hadn’t been to church often, and this particular service seemed unusual. People were clapping, singing loudly and raising their hands in the air. I had never seen this before and feared they might be crazy.

Later in the service they prayed for my brother. Shortly after the prayer for healing, they extended a call for all who wanted to accept Christ as Savior.

Much to my surprise and chagrin, I felt a nudge, the same nudge I experienced at Leslie’s church. I fought it for a bit and then stood up and walked down the aisle. With tears streaming down my face I knelt at the altar and gave my heart to Christ.

On Fire

After the healing service my brother was never hospitalized again. My family did not continue attending church, but my parents drove me to services every Sunday and Wednesday. I went from troubled teen to on fire with the love of Christ. There was no earthly explanation for the change. It was simply a miracle that everyone I knew noticed.

One Sunday, my pastor preached a sermon using Psalm 2:8:

Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession (KJV).

Pastor Gardner explained that I could rewrite the history of my family through prayer. My heart was lit on fire with passion and excitement. I started believing that my family and friends would all eventually come to faith in Christ. After that sermon, I wrote that verse on the top of several pieces of

MONICA’S LESSONS FROM THE JUNK DRAWER: PART ONE

loose leaf paper. Then I started writing the names of my family and friends under the Scripture verse. I prayed over the names daily. Then my list got so long I put it in a box for safekeeping. Over the years, I started calling the box my prayer box.

My Muslim Grandfather AcceptedChrist

It’s been more than 40 years since I heard that sermon and started my prayer box. I’ve seen most of my family, including my Muslim grandfather, come to Christ. I continue to pray for the others. When I reflect on God’s goodness to a rebellious and stubborn teenager, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Our Father’s love expressed through His only Son, Jesus Christ, is more than amazing.

I Found Her on Facebook

A few years ago, I taped a television show about evangelism and persecution. When we filmed that show, I couldn’t stop thinking about Leslie. She was the first one to witness to me. Where would I be without Leslie’s boldness?

More than 40 years had passed, but I wanted to find her and say thank you. I was ecstatic when I found her on Facebook. I messaged her and expressed my appreciation and apologized for my

poor behavior. She was very gracious in her response. She and I keep in touch now. We pray for one another and encourage each other to stay bold and share Christ every opportunity we get.

Rewrite Your Family History

We can all rewrite the history of our families with the power of prayer. We can light our world with the power of Christ by daring to share His love without undue concern over the response. It’s never wise to play with matches. It’s very wise to allow the love of Christ to ignite a flame in your heart that burns so brightly it extinguishes the darkness.

Sorting It Out

Are you allowing the love of Christ to ignite a fire in your life? If not, how could you change that?

Do you have any family members or friends who don’t know Christ yet? If yes, are you praying for them regularly? If yes, are you looking for opportunities to share Christ with them?

Do you fear, or have you experienced, persecution? What has that been like for you?

Would having a prayer box or something similar help you remember to pray for your family/friends that aren’t saved yet?