“While the leader was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.” — John Wesley, May 24, 1738
God calls us to tell our story so that others may come to know Jesus Christ. “Hearts Strangely Warmed” was created to share these stories about transformational encounters with the Living God.
Jeffery D. Holland
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, NIV
On March 20 of 2020, I experienced one of the worst days of life. I was furloughed from my job as a sales rep due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I had worked for over fifteen years to build a career and suddenly it was just gone. Without my job, I lost my sense of self-worth, I felt lost.
I had a lot of time to sit and reflect on my life. I sat at my desk in my home office and looked out the window while I considered my future. I was frustrated with the business practices of my former employer. They didn’t treat people with dignity. Their focus was only on making money. It made me sick to my stomach when I saw them taking advantage of customers. I enjoyed working with people and wanted to help them.
I was surprised to find that being laid off was actually a blessing in disguise. It gave me the space and the time I needed to reflect on my life.
I would not have had the courage to quit my job. I did not want to lose my income or all the effort I had put into building my career. Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time for everything and I took being furloughed as an opportunity to think. I began to realize that it was not just an ending—it was a new beginning!
I feel God urging me to take a new direction in my life. I believe God is calling me to a new beginning and a life of service to Jesus Christ. Throughout my life, I have many times felt a little push toward serving God but I always said to myself, “No—not now.” Due the pandemic, I finally had the opportunity to really hear God and come to the realization that I want to get away from always thinking about producing a profit at the cost of other people and instead focus on serving God and truly helping others.
I feel Christ calling me to dedicate myself to a life of service. I want to help others to find the same feeling of completeness I found within my church family. I’m excited to announce that I am now on the path toward becoming a certified candidate for ministry.
I know this past year has been hard for everyone. A lot of people are out of work and many people have lost someone they love. Our world will never be the same. I don’t know when the pandemic will end, but I do know that God can turn tragedies into blessings. I hope that you will take some time to sit and listen to the voice of God. Look at a tree, a flower, or a bird and admire how Spring comes again every year. What is God saying to you? Where is God calling you? Take time to stop and listen!
