Second Friend Day - Elmer Towns

In college, my friends and I became interested in palm reading, astrology and astroprojection,
"played" with an Ouija board, knew someone who used Tarot cards, and were
fascinated by ESP. Two of us signed up to check out the Rosicrucians. We researched
reincarnation and looked into the Bahai faith. I still considered myself a Christian, but I had no
idea about what the Bible said. I didn't know then that our extra-curricular interests could be of
Satan. I didn't even believe there was a real devil. After all, he was a red guy with horns and a
tail, like kids dressed up on Halloween. .
I graduated from a state university. I taught first grade for several years and a learning
disability class for one year. I liked the children, teachers, parents and everyone, but I was really
restless.
By now I knew by observation and experience that job security, money, possessions and
friends were not enough to make me happy. Although I was single, I knew enough married
friends to see that marriage didn't guarantee happiness. So what was the point of it all? Why
were we here anyway?
People thought I was a happy person, but the only time I was really happy was when I was
alone in the mountains with the quiet and the trees. Even there, the questions kept coming.
I quit teaching and went back to college, majoring in art. I asked more questions, but no
one seemed to know satisfactory answers. There were a lot of students doing their own thing and
going on head trips, but I saw that just doing what you thought you wanted to do didn't really
make you happy either.
While I was still enrolled as an art student, my friend Nancy became very depressed. We
talked a lot, but I couldn't think of any way to help her. Meanwhile, another friend told Nancy
about a Bible-believing church and sugg6sted the pastor could help her. This seemed like a good
idea; we sure didn't have any answers. I though if God was real, maybe He would help.
Nancy talked with the pastor, started going to church and - unknown to me - accepted
Jesus as Saviour. And she invited me to visit the church.
Because Nancy was feeling better and the people seemed to be friendly and to care about
other people, I thought I'd try it. I don't remember what the pastor said that day, but I knew he
believed what he was preaching. It wasn't a dry lecture - he was actually teaching from the Bible.
And the Bible didn't seem to be a lot of dry words; it was exciting and the words answered
questions. I was hungry for more. I hated to leave that day and waited in anticipation for that
night. Then we found we could come on Wednesday. With Sunday School class, then church in
the morning and evening, I couldn't seem to get enough.
A few evenings later, I was alone at home reading, checking the pastor's quotations
against the Bible I had; I didn't want to be tricked. For the first time I understood how a person
actually became a Christian! I didn't understand why the Bible said the things it did, I just knew
it said them. That night I really believed the Bible was from God.