It was a long drive deep into the woods of Talladega County. I had been invited to speak at an event at Selwood Farm, a gathering of fathers and sons for a fun day of target shooting, followed by dinner and a speaker with a spiritual message.
That speaker was me.
I had prepared a talk aimed at the young people, encouraging them to give their lives to Jesus, and to resist the temptations to stray they will face as they grow older.
But almost from the start, it was clear Satan did not want this to take place. As I struggled to find the rural location, storm clouds were gathering overhead. Just as I pulled into the parking lot, the skies cut loose and a thundering rain shower, accompanied by high winds, broke over the property. Quite drenched, I was led to an open-air picnic type area with a metal roof. The dinner had just started and there was one speaker scheduled ahead of me, a man who gave a wonderful testimony and introduced his young son.
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A bitter wind had accompanied the rain and blew through the facility. Cold and wet, an intense chill swept through my body, causing me to shiver. Then the microphone conked out. Fortunately, a musician who had entertained during dinner was able to hardwire another mic.
As I rose to speak, my hands and arms were shivering wildly and I couldn’t seem to stop them. I held the microphone in my hands, which emphasized the shaking. The rain pounding on the metal roof was so loud, I had to speak as loudly as I could, causing my voice to crack and squeak.
But this was an incredible group of Christian men who were determined not to let Satan spoil the event.
‘God’s Word will be heard’
They listened with politeness and encouragement as I croaked through my talk, ending with an invitation to the kids to accept Jesus. When it was over I felt a bit embarrassed — I must have looked and sounded like I was having some sort of attack. But many of these godly men graciously offered sincere gratitude and appreciation for the message and their support lifted me up.
I drove away convicted that, no matter what adversity the devil puts in the way, God’s Word will be heard. It just takes determined Christians to help it happen.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Ken Lass is a retired Birmingham television news and sports anchor and an award-winning columnist for numerous publications and websites.
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