Doug Van Pelt

Greg Taylor is my hero

When I was 18 I met a fellow music enthusiast named Greg Taylor. He worked an annoying job with a company I worked for one summer in Northwest Florida -- American Insulation. Every day I came home with little fiberglass stuck to me. We had a mutual admiration for heavy metal music and great guitar players especially. We stayed in touch as friends. Two years later he had gotten right with God and had rekindled our friendship. He hung out with me even though my lifestyle choices included smoking pot as often as possible. He had a burden to see me won to the kingdom of God, so he started praying. He fasted for me. He wept over the condition of my soul. He shared with me some things about Jesus that I knew and respected, but also some things that intrigued me (like the question of "Did Jesus go down into hell to preach to the captives during His three days of being dead?"), things that made me wonder and dig into the Word. Through the course of this prayer (and the prayer of many others) and God's merciful timing, I "came home" to the Lord one night. We were talking in his bedroom and it was there that I counted the cost (of turning my life over to Christ, knowing that certain lifestyle changes would come) and chose to embrace Jesus once again. Full on. It wasn't going to be a game. It wasn't going to last six months and then fade away (like it did when I was 11). I cried. It was such a wonderful feeling. I remember leaving his house that night and passing his mom in the living room. She had a knowing smile on her face, like she knew I'd come "back" to God.

I don't know where I'd be without Greg Taylor. He helped "pray me into the kingdom," and I am so grateful. That someone would show so much love -- weeping over my soul in intercessory prayer, fasting for me. My goodness, what a price to pay! I can't remember seeing that kind of passionate example for Christ. Talk about an inspiration! I've never regretted that decision and I'm so honored to be "on the Lord's side."

Nehemiah (in the first chapter of his book) had a similar reaction when he heard about the refugees of God's people that had returned to Jerusalem with its broken down walls and gates. He sat down and wept. For some days he mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. He prayed boldly. He took ownership of the sins of his people, confessing them as his own. He had confidence that the God he knew to be faithful would do as His Word had said. At the end of his prayer a new one-sentence paragraph sits alone (in today's modern translations and paragraph breaks). It says: "I was cupbearer to the king." It gives a lead-in to the next chapter, where the king notices that his cupbearer isn't his normal, cheerful self. When the king asks what's wrong, he explains about the trouble in Jerusalem, and the kings resources help get the walls rebuilt. It's a great story.