Follow Me 
"And He said unto them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
"While he (Jesus) was walking by the lake of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon (Peter) and Andrew, casting their large net into the water. They were fishermen, so Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will teach you to catch men!"At once they left their nets and followed him."
Matthew 4:18-20 (J.B. Phillips translation)
When I gave my life completely to Jesus at the age of sixteen while in a Minneapolis Polio Hospital, my only desire was to follow Him and "catch" people- men, women, boys and girls-for Jesus. Despite all my training, I realize that this can only be done through the power of the Holy Spirit. He opens their hearts, increases understanding and allows the fullness of Jesus to explode in their being.
We are living in a time that we need to commit our entire lives to Christ. My Bonnie Lou is now with Jesus and I am happy for her but I still miss her so. When I first began my relationship withBonnie Lou, my heart went crazy- I felt so in love! When I gave her the engagement ring, I thought my heart was going to explode! All of those feelings were so wonderful but none compared to the feeling I experienced when we both stood before our pastor and I gave Bonnie Lou her wedding ring. We pledged our lives to each other and in doing so, she became mine and I became hers.It was so much more thanjust saying, "I love you, Bonnie Lou."When we signed our names on the marriage certificate, it was a commitment for life- to love and be true to each other forever.
Similarly, when we commit our heart and life to Jesus it is a forever decision- for Eternal Life! I had 67 marvelous years of love and joy with Bonnie Lou and while that may seem like a long time here on earth, it is nothing compared to what eternity will be like in heaven with Jesus. That is forever and ever! Why live alone in this life when we can have Jesus living in our hearts here on earth and also the promise of spending eternity with Him in heaven forever!
Since I gave my heart to Jesus at age 16, I have spent almost every day of my 88 (and a half!) years of life in ministry. Last Sunday I was asked to minister at a Christmas party for the homeless and it was such a joy to see these people receive Jesus as their personal Saviour. Now they,too, can help others to understand and receive Jesus into their hearts and lives.
At the party, I was reacquainted with a young man who has been homeless for some time. Through his struggles, he gave his heart to Jesus and is now involved in teaching Sunday School for children. He has recently started working at a new job and when I saw him at a Christmas dinner for seniors this past week, he was even wearing a suit! What a happy looking man!While many areas of his life are improving, he is still homeless. He has not let this affect his commitment to Christ though- he is still reaching people for Jesus right where he is.
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