My step-father-in-law passed away a little over a couple of months ago. Walt had been married to my mother-in-law, Lynn, for 32 years. In those years I knew him, he claimed to be an atheist. He wasn’t irritated, vocal or militant about it; he just never believed in God or all the Jesus stories as told in the Bible. He was a petroleum engineer, thus his analytical mind needed evidence, facts and formulas to prove truth. Walt attended church with us several times over the years, and we would say to him, “Walt, one of these days you’re going to be a believer cause we want you to go heaven and be with all of us.” He would respond, not in a challenging way, but more with light inquisitiveness, “Is that so?” We prayed regularly for 25+ years God would reveal Himself to Walt, and that he would come to believe.
A few months before Walt passed, Walt and I got into a conversation about God, Jesus, and the Bible. I took the apologetics route, appealing to his sense of logic with the prophecies, history, archaeology, science, and the universal law of evidence as used in court, and I quoted scripture to back up everything I said. He kept asking, “Does the Bible really say that?” He would then add, “Isn’t that something?” I mentioned that if he open-mindedly and sincerely followed the evidence, it would lead him down the same road as Lee Strobel and the countless others who in their attempt to disprove the Bible became believers instead. His last comment was, “Well, that’s all really amazing!” That was the last we spoke of it, and I didn’t see him again.
In the two days of October 4th and 5th, Walt was coughing violently and barely able to breathe due to CHF and pneumonia. He didn’t want to live another day as such, and so he decided to pull the plug. Heidi asked her lady’s group and friends to pray for Walt’s salvation, and she got 2 text prayers.
Here’s one of the prayers Heidi received, “Lord God, You are in control- You work all things for good. You love Walt, Your son. Please may he choose You and may You give Your perfect peace and comfort for his kids and grandkids. May they come to know You too! Praise Your Holy Name.”
Here is the other prayer Heidi received,
“Aww..Dear Jesus, please draw him to Yourself. May staff that know You cross his path and share Your good news with him. May he respond to Your grace and mercy. Comfort Heidi and her mom in this difficult time.. in Jesus Name, Amen.”
On October 5th, Heidi forwarded to her mom the 2 prayers from her friends along with a few prayers she kept for these types of times, and asked her mom to read them to Walt. She did, and at Walt’s request, she read those prayers over and over to him, going into the next day, the 6th. During that time, Heidi’s mom and Walt only talked about faith, what that meant for his eternity, and they one day would be in heaven with each other. Walt admitted to her that he believed.
Jesus took Walt home on October 6, 2021, less than 24 hours after Walt accepted Him. Walt’s life as a believer was but the duration of a spark, but the Light that fills his soul now will shine for eternity.
“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Matthew 20:16