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I was beginning to panic as I looked over the financial report for my ailing business. I didn't see how we could possibly make it. What was I going to do? How was I going to tell my employees, especially those who had been with me from the beginning?

My business wasn't the only thing going sour in my life. I had recently moved out of our house, and I was discussing divorce with my wife of 18 years. We fought constantly, and our drinking didn't help.

Our oldest daughter, who was only 16, apparently had had enough of both of us. She ran away from home with a fairly new boyfriend.

What was happening to my life? Everything I had worked so hard for was falling apart—my marriage, my family, my business. Could anything else go wrong? Was this all there was to a life of hard work—a life of sadness, disappointment and failure?

I considered suicide. I knew I needed help, but who would send it?

The knock on my office door startled me.

"Yes," I shouted out, "what do you want?"

My secretary, sensing the irritation in my voice, slowly opened the door and said, "There's a gentlemen here to see you. He said he's a local businessman and just wanted to stop by to say hello. Here's his card."

"I bet he's here to try and sell me something," I muttered to myself as I glanced at his card. "What's he look like?"

"Well, he's nicely dressed, in his mid-50s, and has a very pleasant manner about him. He said he would just take a few minutes."

"All right, but that's all he'll get—a few minutes. I'll be right out."

Consulting for God
He introduced himself as the owner of a consulting firm. "I'm calling on local businessmen in the area to share something that has brought about a truly remarkable transformation in my life and my business. Even though you don't know me, I think you'll be interested in hearing what it is. I promise I'll be brief."

Here it comes, I thought to myself. He's going to try to convince me that I need his services. Boy, is he going to be disappointed.

"Okay, I'm all ears, but I really am busy. Could you make it short?"

"Certainly," he gently responded. "I want to talk to you about Jesus Christ and how knowing Him can change your life."

"You've got to be kidding," I interrupted. "I'm in the biggest crisis of my life, and you want to talk to me about religion? I don't want to be rude but—"

"I understand, but if you'll just let me explain. What I have to share may be just what you need to hear. You just said you're facing the biggest problem of your life. I believe that God can help."

"No, you don't understand," I said. "If there is a God, why hasn't He helped me before now? This isn't the first time I've been in serious trouble."

"Maybe He has," my visitor smiled, "and maybe He wants to again—right now!"

Before I could respond, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a little booklet called Steps to Peace with God. In the next few minutes he explained how much God loved me and how He had a purpose and a plan for my life. My sin and my unwillingness to change were keeping me from that plan. He told me what I needed was a new life, one brought about by having a relationship with God, through faith in Jesus.

"God will totally redirect your life if you'll let Him," he said. "That's what He did for me and I haven't been the same since—and neither will you. Ask Jesus to come into your life, and He will. You can become what the Bible calls 'born again.' Would you like to do that right now?"

I was startled at this man's boldness. I hesitated. Then I asked, "Is that it?"

"That's it," he replied.

"Look, I really appreciate your stopping by, but I'm not ready for this right now. Things will get better—they have to. And when they do, I'll be okay. But thanks for stopping by. I wish you well in what you're trying to do, I really do. But it's just not for me."

He extended his hand once again. "Thanks for your time," he said. "Keep the booklet. Perhaps you'll find time to read it again. There's a prayer in the back, which you can say anytime, day or night, and God will hear you. Goodbye. It was a pleasure meeting you."

I walked back into my office, tossed the tract on my desk, closed the door, and began to weep. Did I really believe that things would get better? Not at all.

God knocks again
Six months later, I was divorced and preparing my business for bankruptcy. I was cleaning out my office on the last day before we closed the doors. While placing some papers from my desktop into a folder, I saw the little booklet my visitor had left with me. I sat down and began to thumb through the first few pages. I could almost hear his voice as he explained the different steps to peace with God, especially the part about how much God loved me. How could that be? Everything I had done was a failure. But there it was: "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8).

Then I remembered the man's closing words about a prayer in the back of the booklet. I quickly searched for that page. As tears began to fill my eyes, I repeated the prayer and asked Jesus Christ to forgive me and come into my life and change me.

That was 25 years ago, and my visitor was right. My life has never been the same since. My wife and I remarried and she also became a Christian. God dramatically changed both our lives. Two years later, I was in Bible college studying to become a pastor. God restored my marriage and gave me a new vocation as well. I have now been a pastor for more than 20 years.

My oldest daughter? She's now married with her own children and they are members of my church, as is my youngest daughter and her family. In fact, all the members of our family have become believers.

I never again saw that visitor to my office, but I believe I will see him again, in heaven. He'll most likely be one of the first saints there to greet me.

Don Kimbro is a pastor and freelance writer in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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