April 30, 2001
Singles urged to be true to God and release anger
___By Ferrell Foster
___Texas Baptist Communications
___SAN ANTONIO--In the summer of 1995, Daniel "Tiny" Dominguez fell on his knees before God and let out all of the anger he had been keeping inside for the months. He finally got honest with God.
___Dominguez, now associate pastor of Iglesia Bautista Getsemani in Fort Worth, led aseminar titled "Being True to God and Self" April 21 at the Texas Single Adult Conference, sponsored by the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
DANIEL DOMINGUEZ: "We struggle with being honest when we're wrong and when we're hurt
___"We want to be seen as the model Christian," Dominguez said, "but it's hard when we're not being true to God." And "if you can't be true to God, you can't be true to yourself."
___Whether in dealing with God, others or self, "we struggle with being honest when we're wrong and when we're hurt," Dominguez said.
___His own struggle in being honest with God started on a football field in 1994. Dominguez was 18 years old and attending the University of Texas at El Paso on a football scholarship. He "blew out" his knee on the practice field, and his career in the sport he loved ended abruptly, as did the scholarship.
___Dominguez recalled sitting in his dorm room with a cast from his hip to his ankle, seeing the Sun Bowl out the window. One question dominated his thoughts--"Why me?" He was president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, leader of a church youth group, a good kid seeking to live his life for God.
___His feelings of anger toward God "never came out," he said. "You're not supposed to be mad at God." So Dominguez would stand in front of Christians and say the right things while feeling something very different inside.
___Months later, on Father's Day the following year, his grandmother died "in front of the family." He hurt again but tried to be strong and went to a youth camp as a sponsor. At the camp, he finally got honest with God, "letting it all out."
___When he did, Dominguez said, "I felt the arms of God, the arms of Jesus, wrapped around me," as if God were saying, "You're mine."
___Being honest with God, however, is only half of the challenge, he explained. A person needs to be honest with himself or herself; and a large part of that is understanding one's weakness.
___Dominguez loves to lift weights and, as a result, always saw himself as a strong man. When he finally got honest with himself regarding his own weakness in the face of life's troubles and his need for God's strength, then it became possible to "see the glory the God," he said.
___"When you're true to God and when you're true to self, you begin to become what God is searching for, a true worshipper," Dominguez said.
___"It's time for us to be truthful through our struggles and our glory."
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