The Story of Adam

Have you ever wondered how to be a light in a crooked and perverse nation? How can I be salt in the world around me? I was recently given a Bible study on this topic so I was forced to evaluate my life. It was difficult to sit down and think of specific instances of my being “light”. In fact I found the task incredibly tedious. Then, a very vivid memory popped into mind. I believe it was the Lord reminding me of His truth, and power to work through ordinary lives, even mine.

As a sophomore in high school, I was attending at a Christian school in name only. My parents and I came to the decision that I would go to public school the next year, and skip straight ahead to my senior year. This was a turning point in my life, and the setting of my story. Leander High School was a scary place. Four thousand teenagers, hundreds of teachers and one school; the only way to describe it is overwhelming. I did not know one person before beginning my senior year; I felt truly alone to make friends and find my way.

It is a complete paradigm shift for a teenager to go from Christian school to the public environment. It is a change the Lord used greatly in my life. I was forced to make choices about who I would be friends with, what groups I would join, who I would look up to, and who I would lead. I sat alone at lunch for the first 3 weeks of school. It was not pleasant, but I was scared to get too close to anyone. As time went by I got more and more involved in my choir and drama classes. I was in the school’s Broadway musical and had a blast. I made friends with a many kids from that production.

After opening night, there was a cast party. My parents of course said I could go, so I hopped in my truck, and headed out for a fun evening. Now I was a naïve teenage girl. I was thinking pizza, pop and games. Sure, I knew that drugs were around any school, but I had never actually seen them used, or been friends with anyone who used them. Little did I know that at this party I was about to be introduced to the pot culture that is rampant within our schools, both public and Christian.

I saw some of my friends go outside, and went out with them a few minutes later. Can you believe they were lighting a joint? I was shocked. What happened next was even more bizarre. Adam turned to me, in front a group of people and said “I don’t think I can smoke this right now, I feel like Jesus is watching me.” Surprisingly enough, some of the people agreed with him. I didn’t really know what to say, so I replied “He is.” I was floored, and left the party quickly after the incident. To my shame, I had never really evangelized anyone at that school, yet, Adam thought of Jesus when he saw me. At the time, I thought about it for a few days, but moved on with life. I suppose that one comment helped me to keep a clean testimony while attending Leander High School. To this day, I don’t know where Adam is, what he does, or if he ever heard the gospel.

This incident, while memorable, had not entered my mind for years, why now? I can only think the Lord brought it back to mind. My view of what happened has changed with age and maturity. I am humbled by the fact that the Lord would choose to use one teenage girl to show his grace and power. He uses anyone at anytime. He gives us experiences that we can remember later in life to remind us of what His grace has done. I think of the altars that Joshua and Moses built while wandering the wilderness. They were reminded of God’s help; I am reminded of God’s grace.

I am convicted by the fact that I could be doing so much more now as an adult. I may never get such specific feedback on my life on earth again, but I was blessed with an honest comment on my life. I have experienced first hand the power of remaining “blameless and harmless”. The Spirit allowed my one little light to shine enough that Adam could see Christ. It mattered very little to him what I said, what I did made the difference. As Christians we need to be consciously aware that our lives are the light God uses to illuminate his world. We never know who our lives will touch, but we are responsible to live in such a way that others are drawn to him.