The End of the Awakening

After three years, the time of awakening ebbed to a sad ending. The beginning of the revival was spontaneous but the ending was due to sin.

The first was the departure of Stant. One day at the shack Stant told us that he was planning to go back to the bars he used to haunt to witness to people there. We warned him that it was a dangerous environment for him and begged him not to do it. But he said he was strong enough to withstand the temptation. After a couple of weeks Stant fell off the wagon. I think it was because of shame that he stayed away, but whatever the reason within a month he was drinking regularly. When we tried to talk to him, he wouldn't hear. Stant was gone...gone back to the old way of life. Quickly, one of the greatest soul-winners I have known became one of the greatest stumbling blocks. People ridiculed him and his former witness. They used him as an excuse to reject the Gospel. It was a heartbreaking time for the church and like someone had knocked the wind out of us.

The second sin was a family falling out over the farming business. Hard feelings and division followed. Within such a close and small community, the results had a devastating impact on the church.

There were people who maintained their hunger for God and walked intimately with the Lord, but as a whole the church lost its fire and passion. Its singing turned into sighing. The remarkable conversions stopped. It was back to business as usual.

As heartbreaking as the end was, I will always be thankful for the privilege of being a part of those three years of awakening. It was a time of spiritual growth and life transformation for me. Patterns of devotion were engraved into my life. Our first son, Matt, was born and I will always be grateful that his birth and early life were enveloped in the fervent praying of so many godly people. Many people had been saved. Lessons were learned about the danger of making provision for the flesh and the weakness of the flesh.