For I Know the Plans I Have for You
By Anonymous, AZ
Brian was an overall good kid. He went to school. He got decent grades. He was a popular kid who had lots of friends. He loved to play basketball and was really good at it. But like everyone else, Brian had problems.
For Brian, it wasn't family problems. Brian's problem was that he got in with the wrong crowd. He started drinking heavily when he was in seventh grade. Not coincidentally, his grades rapidly started to drop. He played it off as a joke that he got a concussion while playing football one day in PE. It didn't take long for his problems to go from just drinking to smoking ganja and being very sexually promiscuous.
One of his good friends did not get caught up in all this, but decided to live his faith. He tried to get Brian to stop his bad habits. But Brian was way too far down his path to listen to his friend. Still, his friend could tell that there was something in Brian that was questioning what he was doing.
When Brian would hang out with different people, such as his friends who didn't drink or smoke, he was a very good guy. This made these friends believe that they could still win him back from all of his sinful temptations and desires. Though lack of effort was not there, the situation proved very difficult.
His friends then decided to get Brian's parents involved. They went to Brian's mother and father and expressed their concern for the situation. It was not surprising to hear that they had no idea that any of this was going on with their son. They were speechless, just sitting on the couch with quizzical looks on their faces.
Brian's parents decided to take immediate action. They called Brian on his cell phone and told him to come home immediately. Reluctantly, Brian agreed to come home. When he got home, his parents expressed their disappointment in him. They were upset that their supposedly Christian son was living in such sin. They tried yelling and then calmly talking to him. But no matter what they did, they seemed to get no reaction from Brian. He just sat there and looked as if he did not even care that they were talking to him. This made his parents even more concerned.
Brian's parents decided to make Brian visit with their pastor. The pastor was also surprised to hear the news of Brian's sins. At church he was always very kind and seemed to know the love that God had for him. So the pastor conversed with Brian. He tried speaking to him kindly, but it quickly became apparent that Brian needed to hear the law. So the pastor gave the law to him. He straight up pointed out his wrongs and told him of the eternal punishment that would be coming his way if he did not repent and turn back to the right path. Brian's face was stoic. He seemed to not even be listening to the words that the pastor was speaking.
Unfortunately, this story does not end happily. . .yet we still are hoping. Brian is now living away from home and has not been to church since he had that talk with the pastor six years ago. This does not deter his family and his friends from praying for him. They constantly call him on the phone and try to talk to him. They know that God has a plan. God states in the Bible in Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Please pray for Brian, and all other wayward souls. Pray that they may find God's love through the Holy Spirit. Pray that they may someday be with us in the glorious splendors of heaven.