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The BADDEST Chick on Campus

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  • The BADDEST Chick on Campus

    (I had posted this on Tweb before the crash, and had saved a copy)

    As often happens, a response of mine to another thread reminded me of something about which I'd like to write. If for no other reason, than just to get this "out there".

    We had been planning a "Disciple Now" weekend for a Baptist Church in the East Texas area. A lot of pre-planning and prayer goes into these events, which consist of a Friday Night rally, All day Saturday events, and Sunday Services.

    One of the things we had as "preparation" was a meeting with the students (junior and high school kids) to make a combined list of the "Top Ten People" at school that you would like to see saved or changed. The kids began naming names, and we were prioritizing them according to several factors, one of which was the universality of concern about a particular person. We would list ALL of the names, but we would focus intently on "the top ten". We already had about a dozen names, then somebody - a girl - mentioned the name "Angie Wilson" (not her real name for obvious reasons). Immediately there was a gasp, then a chuckle, and various other reactions. This name was new to me, but it was OBVIOUSLY not new to the group. I said, "tell me about Angie".

    The girl who mentioned Angie's name said, "well, she's JUST the BADDEST CHICK on Campus!" I asked "how so". "Well, she beats up girls in the restroom and steals their lunch money". "She cussed out her homeroom teacher, then threatened to whip her ** if she told anybody". "She's meaner than anybody you can imagine". "She's the one person who will NEVER do 'the religion thing'". And on and on it went.

    Naturally, this intrigued me. THIS was the girl for whom I was looking! And I asked, "can we put her at the top of the list?" There were giggles, and comments, then the girl who brought up her name said, "Well, hold on a minute... if we're serious about praying, and we want God to do something GREAT, then why CAN'T we pray for Angie?" Another girl said "well, she'd have to BE HERE this weekend, and what are the chances of THAT?" After some discussion, it was agreed it was a "long shot", but all were in agreement to put her name at #1 on the list!

    UNBEKNOWNST to ANY of us, God was already at work. (Yeah, Michelle, it's a "set up"!)

    Angie had been kicked out of her house, and was living with her aunt. Her aunt had been praying for Angie, and doing her best to witness to Angie, but to no avail. Margie (the aunt) was at her wit's end dealing with Angie. Fights, loud music, phone calls from school, rumors, more fights.... But then Margie heard about the Disciple Now weekend, and began to ask questions about it. In a bold step of faith (or a wacko kind of gamble) Aunt Margie decided to lay it all on the line. She went into Angie's room one night and said "I have a proposition for you". She explained that there was a special event at Church, and said, "If you will go to this ONE EVENT, I promise to stop bugging you about God and Church". (don't try this at home, kids, unless God specifically tells you to do so) After some back-and-forth, and some crying on Aunt Margie's part, Angie said she'd "think about it", if "that's what it takes to get you off my back".

    Friday night of the Disciple Now Weekend arrived. A Singing Group (two guys – Jeff and Robin) was performing a concert to "kick off the weekend". After a number of fun songs, “wild” songs (I’m a Baptist preacher, don’t ya know ), etc... (these guys are SUPER) the mood turned a little more "spiritual" or "worshipful". About this point, several of us in the front began hearing some audible gasps, and noticed some commotion as students were prodding each other and looking toward the back of the auditorium. ANGIE WILSON WAS IN THE BUILDING!!!!! I looked at the girl who had first mentioned Angie's name for the "Top Ten" list, and she was already mopping up tears. Angie took a seat by herself in the very back of the auditorium. I had never met Angie before, but by all accounts, this had to be her. Tough, “hard”, and with a look of “I DARE you to say something to me”.

    The singing group had no idea of the background of this, but after several more worship songs, Jeff, the leader, began to lead into an altar call. The emphasis basically was on asking students to open up their hearts to whatever God wanted to do “this weekend”, and asking them to come forward and kneel and pray, or remain in their seats and pray, or go to somebody with whom they were at odds and ask forgiveness. Some students knelt and prayed. Others went and hugged another student (about 300 kids in the room) and you could hear sobbing and whispering and praying.

    Jeff continued to talk, very low-key – no coercion - just encouraging students to do whatever the Lord led them to do, and he specifically began to talk about “maybe you’ve been at war with God, and He’s talking to your heart, and you know the smartest thing to do is surrender”. The kid next to me nudged me, and glanced to the rear of the middle isle. Angie was out of her seat and making her way up the isle. More gasps as students began to notice Angie approaching the front. I was close enough to Jeff (I was now up front as an available counselor) to hear Angie blurt out through sobs “I want to surrender, I’m tired of being at war with God” as she hugged Jeff’s neck and the two of them knelt down at the altar to talk and pray. Robin continued to play some music quietly as others were responding, and several youth ministers were dealing with kids who had come forward.

    At some point, most of the kids had made their way back to their seats, and the counseling was done. Robin stopped playing the music as Jeff stepped to the microphone, arm in arm with Angie, and said, “Church, this is Angie Wilson – she just gave her heart to Jesus”.
    You cannot imagine the applause and the tears and the hugs and the “spiritual high” as “the BADDEST CHICK ON CAMPUS” surrendered her war with God and became His child.

    “#1” on the Top Ten List was now part of the family, and the weekend was only beginning!
    The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

  • #2
    Awesome!
    "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

    "Forgiveness is the way of love." Gary Chapman

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