Meadowlark Lemon Trust Your Next Shot:Chapter 9 Meeting the Man Who Changed My Life
Of all the men who have made me into what I am there one man above all of them "Jesus Christ"
Today I am an outspoken non-denominational Christian evangelist. You might say I am a preacher of the Gospel the good news for any group that wants me to speak.
I have been invited to mainline churches and independent congregations. I have been to prisons and shelters for the homeless. Weve ministered to Native Americans, gang members, and those with severe addictions. Ive been part of a lot of motivational and spiritual events that team with other ministries, foundations, and celebrity fundraisers for charities. We go to detention centers and lock up facilities and to youth prisons.
In every one of these settings my message remains the same: I come to you with a "Ministry of Joy."
I was introduced to Jesus Christ by a Jewish Hollywood Costume designer and it changed my life forever.
Heres the unlikely story.
After playing with the Globetrotters I started my own comedy team: Meadowlarks Lemons Bucketeers. As we were getting it started we were able to arrange several engagements including a special on NBCs Sportsworld.
Thus was great because we finally had a chance to show what we could do but we didn't have any uniforms.
I was given the name of a costume designer who worked in Hollywood: Heidi Rasnow.
I told her about the deadline for the NBC show and asked her if she be able to help with the uniforms. She agreed and performed miracles with her sewing machine.
She made the uniforms and they turned out great! We wore them on the David Letterman Show and David said he loved the uniforms. Today you can watch it as a clip on You Tube.
I returned from along trip with the Bucketeers and felt I should stop by Heidis studio. She was with a minster friend of hers named John who had gotten there just before I arrived.
When Heidi saw me she could tell I had an awful lot on my mind. I had filled my life with everything I thought would make me happy: money,fame, security, work, business. Still I wasn't happy. I was frustrated and disillusioned.
In her direct way Heidi said, "Meadowlark, I know what you need. You need Jesus." She knew it and at that moment I realized it to. God had sent John into the studio at the same time and God lead me there because he knew that I needed him. "Im ready," I whispered.
John led us in a simple prayer: "Heavenly father, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. The Bible says whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Im calling to you. I pray and ask Jesus to come into my heart and be Lord of my life. I confess Jesus is Lord and I believe in my heart that he rose from the dead. Thank you that your spirit now lives within me and I am forgiven Amen."
After saying the prayer I wish I could say that my life changed completely in the next minute. I was sincere when I prayed I really did want the Lord in my life. My faith grew in the coming weeks and months. I realized God had cleaned me up on the inside and my desires had changed. I wanted to know more about the Lord and his word and anything I could to have a closer relationship with him. In the next year I began to share my testimony about the man who changed my life. As I began to realize who I was I saw that God had known me even when I did not know him and he had been with me all the time. I read in the Bible that God gives us the desires of our heart. When I read that I realized that when I went to the movie theater 11 years ago that God was there too. He gave me the gift of seeing my future with the Globetrotters on that movie screen.
God was there when I was frustrated that I had no place to play and God gave me the courage to keep on believing that a little black boy going from home to home, no place to call my own, would have a chance to be on a team known around the world- the Harlem Globetrotters. God was there all the time, guiding, comforting, and encouraging me. He was with me when I thought I was alone practicing for hours while my buddies were away. God was there all the time waiting patiently for me to recognize his presence in my life and run into his arms!
What a wonderful place to be: In the arms of God who brings unspeakable joy. I knew, with all my heart that Jesus Christ was the man who changed my life FOREVER
Anyone can say the prayer that John taught me and God will change their life as well. When I said I was assured of God's love and of eternal life with him no matter what. If this prayer bothers you and youre not sure about God I challenge you just to pray:
"GOD IF YOU ARE REAL REVEAL YOURSELF TO ME."
You will be amazed about how God will make himself known to you. When I was a boy I used to sleep with a basketball. Now whenever I get a hotel room while Im traveling the first thing I unpack is my Bible and study notes and put them on my bed. I study Gods word the same way I studied my basketball gane.
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