September 4, 2000
Never give up
By Zig Ziglar
___I had the privilege of baptizing Amanda Gail Stevens, my granddaughter whom I have always called "Sunshine," when she was 12 years old. Over the years, she departed from her faith, dropped out of church and got involved in drugs and many of the things drugs lead to.
___In the latter part of 1997, tired, frustrated and full of despair over the direction her life had taken, Amanda started praying, asking God to give her a love for him. He did--big-time!
___ Those who know her well agree they have never seen such a radical transformation in anyone. Virtually every facet of her life changed completely. Today, she is highly energetic and bubbles with excitement and enthusiasm. She goes out of her way to accommodate others, and she is incredibly grateful for, and appreciative of, anything anyone does for her. She truly is an absolute delight to be around.
ZIG ZIGLAR and his granddaughter Amanda Gail Stevens.
___Amanda registered to take classes at the Lindale base of Youth With a Mission, a training school for missionaries. They start with three months of intensive training, then go on a short mission trip to see if they are suited to become missionaries and if they truly feel God's call to the mission field. Her first trip was to Mongolia, and despite all the hardships and difficulties she encountered, she loved it. Today she's on another mission, traveling by van with several other YWAM students, sharing the good news about her Savior in the inner cities of the Southwest and the Northwest.
___ This story, however, carries two significant messages.
___ I was saved on July 4, 1972, largely because of the efforts of an elderly African-American lady who spent the weekend in our home. After I invited Christ to be my Lord and Savior, I got real excited about the significant changes that took place in my life. I had greater peace of mind and increased love for my wife, children, friends, associates and the list goes on. The effectiveness of my presentations increased dramatically when I began using and teaching biblical principles in my material.
___ At the time Amanda began her personal relationship with Christ, I had been teaching Sunday School for 15 years. I was faithful in my Bible reading, though there were days when I did miss reading it, and other days when I "dutifully" read a chapter or two. But when I saw how excited Sunshine was about Jesus, I started asking God to give me the same love and excitement for him and his message. I also made an unbreakable, irreversible, irrevocable commitment that, come what may, I would study my Bible every day. Since that date in December 1998, I have faithfully done that.
___ The most beautiful part of the story as far as my personal benefits are concerned, however, is how God is showing me new things that have been in his book all of the time! It's amazing, but when you get closer to the Author, his word means infinitely more to you.
___ First message: Bread cast upon the waters comes back many times buttered and toasted to a delicious golden brown.
___ Because I was reasonably active in Sunshine's life, especially when she was a baby and toddler, and to a fairly large degree throughout her childhood, I had no idea that, when she became a beautiful young adult, she would be the instrument God would use to draw me closer to him. So, parents and grandparents, it's important what you teach your children and grandchildren. Who knows, maybe the day will come when they will teach you even more!
___ Second message: You should never give up on your children or grandchildren.
___ Keep faith in them. Continue to encourage and pray for them. If they have a stabilizing influence and constant assurance that they are loved and that you do care, there is no telling what can happen down the road. We need to remember for our own lives and for those we love, failure is an event and not a person--that yesterday ended last night and today is a brand new day. People can change and change radically.
___ If you don't believe me, ask Sunshine. She'll tell you. But she will also tell you that God is the agent of change in the person of Jesus Christ.
___ Zig Ziglar, author, lecturer and chairman of the Zig Ziglar Corporation in Dallas, is a member of the Speaker's Hall of Fame. He and his wife, Jean, are members of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano. They have four granddaughters. This story appears in "GRAND-Stories: 101+ Bridges of Love Joining Grandparents and Grandkids," produced by Friendly Oaks Publications.
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