Seventeen years ago, I came home from the firehouse and was ready to end my life. I didn’t have Christ in my life and the abuse from my past along with all the evil I responded to as an Oakland fireman was tearing me apart.
As a last ditch effort, I decided to go to a little Church down the street from my house. I was raised by my dad, a single Vietnam Vet who taught me to hate “Church people”. But, I decided to put that aside and go. I knew nothing about Church and showed up dressed in shorts and a T-shirt.
Well, at the front door, two greeters turned me away because of the way I was dressed. I never let them know that I was a fireman who had awards for pulling people out of fires or about the times I did mouth to mouth on lifeless babies- I just walked away with tears in my eyes feeling even worse about myself.
I went home to kill myself. That is when my friend who was also a fireman and a devout atheist stepped in and saved my life- How crazy is that?
Here’s the deal my friends- When we hold people to our standards and don’t pour the love we have found in Christ Jesus onto others, there are consequences.
As I move forward in ministry, I constantly think about the way I am stewarding the love God has given me through Christ Jesus because it would crush me if I ever pushed anyone away from what they needed because of some silly legalistic nonsense. Just some food for thought.
I love you guys,
Jason Sautel