by Ricky Doc Sauceda
I met two young women yesterday who each had difficulty during their road tests. Each of them displayed a unique behavior that clued me in on deep issues that they had. One went into a hysterical eruption and begged me to give her another chance when she committed an act that caused automatic failure of her test. The other was doing well during the drive portion and then disconnected and also committed an act that caused automatic failure of her test.
So, they came back this morning to try again. I counseled with each of them during their tests. One was needing encouragement because her parents were overbearing and demanding. They were very unhappy with her for not having passed her test and that is why she got hysterical. She knew what she would be facing. Today, she passed. Her mother walked over to thank me and I said,"Ma'am I don't give anything away, your daughter earned her license." Maybe now they will give her a little respect.
The other is more intense of a story. She is deeply troubled and is carrying something hurtful inside of her. I have dealt with this before and knew what approach to use with her. I encouraged her through the test and she passed...then we talked. She had mentioned yesterday that her mom had been prompting her to pray. So, I expounded on that today. She opened up and revealed that something was really bothering her and would just pop into her mind at any time.
I thought about Nancy Leigh DeMoss' sermon yesterday and her reference to "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" - the old trustworthy hymn. I also remembered my encounter with another troubled college student years ago when I managed a pizza restaurant. The girl was very upset and crying in a back room. Several people tried to console her but nobody could find the words to comfort her. I remembered my grandma Lizzardi's simple "words of wisdom." She would always say,"Be strong and have faith." Grandma's words bring me comfort to this very day. The girl smiled and stopped crying and told me "thank you." She was filled with hope because of those words. It made a difference to her right then and there in the back room of that restaurant.
So, I used them again. Amazingly, they once again took root immediately and brought comfort the girl with deep troubles. We fellowshipped and held hands as I prayed to Jesus on her behalf. I took her copy of the examination and wrote the name of the old trustworthy hymn on it. I told her to look it up online when she got home later. I cannot emphasize "enough" how important it is to keep feeding your soul with godly things...like Christian sermons. If I had not listened to the Nancy Leigh DeMoss sermon yesterday, I would not have known to share the hymn with her.
Those young ladies are stronger and more confident tonight because He loves them. That fact was proven to them today by a part of the Body of Christ. I am humbled and grateful to serve our Lord in this way. It makes living worthwhile.
Amen.