Pastor Freddy Johnson of North Point Community Church has prayed for 33 years that his Uncle Whitt would accept Jesus as his Savior. His uncle heard Freddy share the gospel many times over the years, both during sermons and one-on-one, yet repeatedly refused to discuss taking his next step of faith. Whitt agreed with the story of Jesus, but believed that occasionally attending church and being “sprinkled” as a child was all he needed for salvation. Freddy continued to take every opportunity to discuss Jesus with his 92-year-old uncle.
“He has laughed in my face and made jokes to me and about me regarding my faith over the years, but God never let me let go of him,” Freddy says.
Uncle Whitt is the last living sibling of 13 in Freddy’s father’s family, so Freddy makes every effort to remain in contact with him. When Whit was hospitalized earlier this summer, Freddy says he prayed all the way to the hospital that God would provide 15 minutes of uninterrupted time alone with his uncle so that he could share the gospel with him once more.
“As I walked in, there were two nurses in the hospital room,” Freddy recalls. He introduced himself as Whitt’s nephew, that he was also a pastor, and about his plan to share the gospel. “They immediately turned and walked out,” he said.
Freddy quickly moved past small talk and their regular lines of jokes and brought up the reason for the visit. He told his uncle that only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ would get him into heaven.
“I said, ‘Uncle Whitt, have you ever made a conscious choice to invite Jesus into your life, forgive you of your sin, and let Him be the Lord of your life,’” Freddy remembers asking. “He responded, ‘I’ve never done that.’”
Then, the man Freddy says he has never seen cry or show much emotion, shed a single tear as he said he was ready to “pray that prayer.” As the two were praying, Uncle Whitt’s granddaughter walked into the hospital room and heard her grandfather accept Jesus as his Savior. Freddy notes that as an added blessing on that day.
“I’m not the only one called to these kinds of moments,” Freddy says to all believers. “God has placed the call to share the gospel in every one of us. We must just allow Him to accomplish these moments in us and through us.”