Dallas-Ft. Worth
Recently my husband and I headed out for some dinner and conversation. On a “whim” we chose to go somewhere we’d never been before. It was a cool place – part bar, part restaurant.
A few minutes after we arrived and were seated, an older gentleman came in and sat a few seats away from my husband at the bar. We continued our conversation while the gentleman sat by himself.
Then, clear as day, I heard: “talk to him.” My husband heard it too, “talk to him.”
I fought it, but the message on my heart was insistent. “Talk to him.” Finally, my husband reached over and introduced himself to the man. He was receptive and mentioned that he was a former helicopter pilot for the Marines. We had a nice chat, but it didn’t seem important, yet. Then, the elder man’s son and daughter-in-law arrived. The son had waist-length, jet-black hair and wore shades indoors. The woman was dressed in a suit, but also had wild hair, piercings and tattoos. They sat next to us and we exchanged introductions.
Diane shares the following story:
“I was doing my usual walking at a Rec Center where we go and I was wearing my ‘I Am Second’ t-shirt. A guy came up to me (whom we have seen previously and spoken to briefly before) and said, ‘I like your t-shirt.’ He went on to say, ‘Not in a religious sense, but a philosophical sense. In other words, to put people first and myself second. In fact that was my New Year’s resolution.’ We then began a conversation where I was able to share with him that God is the one who enables us to live, putting ourselves second. Then he began to share with me how he used to go to church, but not any more. He had been turned off by the institution of the church and especially big churches. I was able to share with him that Chris (my husband) is the worship pastor of a small church in Frisco, and I explained that our pastor was very real and down-to-earth. Then he asked me what time our service was and how to get there and said, ‘I’m coming. You can count on it!’
I’m praising the Lord for the opportunity He gave me to share with this guy today and hopefully continue to be a ministry in his life!”
Have you had a similar experience?
PLANO, Texas, Dec. 2, 2010 – The revolutionary I Am Second movement commemorated two years of outstanding growth and impact with a special birthday celebration tonight to share stories of lives changed at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Carrollton, Texas.
The evening was filled with reminiscing on the beginning of I Am Second, which launched with a billboard campaign in the Dallas-Fort Worth marketplace on Dec. 2, 2008, and what has now become an international movement, garnering more than 14 million page views and 3.3 million visits from 214 countries/regions. In addition to praise and worship from Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Matthew West, numerous “seconds” featured on the website filled the program, sharing testimonies and feedback regarding their I Am Second experience.
“I sacrificed a lot when I left Korn,” said Brian “Head” Welch, former band member of Korn. “What I’m doing now doesn’t pay much, but to see people’s lives changed, that’s my paycheck. It’s what I live for.”
