“Lord I pray for Ethan that you would speak into his heart. He has been through so much this past year and I know he desires to know you, but just doesn’t know how to. Lord he is the best big bro I could ever ask for. I love him so so much. He has always been there for me and I know if you revealed yourself to him, he will find everlasting joy in you. If he could just experience the same grace and love I feel from you, I know his life will be changed. This is my one wish, please please please speak life into him. I will never ask for anything else.”
I wrote this prayer on March 5th 2015 in my journal. For a long time, I have prayed this same exact prayer over and over again: asking God to reveal himself to Ethan, telling Him to make Ethan believe, begging him to reveal his love/grace to him. For a long time, God never answered any of my prayers. I felt frustrated, but I still prayed constantly. I don’t really know why I was so persistent to keep praying, but I guess thats what love does. It never lets you give up. It keeps you desperate to want something so bad for the ones you care about. It keeps you focused on the task.
I can see a lot of parallels between Ethan and I to the parable of the prodigal son. I am the son who stays close to home and he was the one who took the wealth and went out into the world. He got in a good amount of trouble. I did not. He had pretty bad luck on some unfortunate situations. I had better luck. He never seemed to “get it right.” I gave the appearance that I had it all figured out. As his brother, I always knew that Christ was the answer to his hardships and the thing he needed most. But as the years went on, it felt like the window was closing and God wasn’t going to convict him.
Thats when God intervened. I can remember when I said goodbye to Ethan. When we embraced I could feel a warmth and a safety in his arms. I started to weep. I didn’t weep because I was leaving him (although I was very sad about that), but because in that moment I felt the spirit of God over me and it gave me a vision that fruit will come soon to Ethan and that he will be secured at USC. I felt at peace, but confused of what God was going to do.
While on the Race, I continued to pray for him, waiting for the ‘fruit” that was supposed to come. Thats when something miraculous happened. This Sunday, I asked Ethan to write a guest blog for me. He reluctantly said yes and I told him to write about anything. That night he sent me a copy of the blog that literally had me in tears. I could see all the progress in his pursuit of the Lord. I could see the heart he is starting to culminate for his word. I could see a different Ethan. An Ethan that was seeking truth. I went to bed joyful for the person I saw.
I woke up the next morning with a presence of Gods spirit over me. I felt him tell me that something big was going to happen that day. I didn’t know what, but I was excited.
I went through the normal motions of the day. Got on the buses, unloaded the bricks, talked to ministry host. But even through the normal routine something felt different. Then at lunch I get a text from Ethan that changed EVERYTHING. The change that saves lives and breeds hope. The change that brings a complete 180 to someones life.
The text said “When I was writing the blog about living a double life, I was trying to figure out the reasons why I was holding back committing to Christ. Then I realized how small and insignificant they are to how big and glorious Jesus is. So right then, I texted one of the leaders at Shandon that I wanted to fully commit to Christ. So we talked and I’m a new BELIEVER.” I was sent into a frenzy: disbelief, shock, an overflow of joy.
PRAISE God for his faithfulness. He always has a time for everything and gives abundant fruit when the harvest comes. He floods us with his goodness. When he says to wait, its because he has something greater planned for us. Waiting for this moment was so so worth it. It was an answer to all my prayers. I can picture the father in heaven saying “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on Ethan, and put a ring on his finger, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” There is a huge party in heaven today: somewhere angels are dancing and Jesus is smiling, because the family of God has gotten a little bigger today.
Thank you Jesus that you have always been present in Ethan’s heart. That you never stopped pursuing him. That you have revealed your love and glory to him. Thank you that you have turned Ethan from dead into life, from lost to found. Thank you that the harvest has come.
I pray that Ethan would know the implications of what you did on the cross for him. That he could walk in the light, actively pursuing the God of creation and life. I hope he would never forget the love you have for him. That he could make less of him so there is more room for Your Presence. His life is not his own anymore: he has handed the reigns to You.
So now there is one more room in heaven. And on that room is a huge sign that say “Ethan Lewe, Welcome to the Kingdom of Heaven.”
If you were wondering I will post a separate blog of his original blog that he sent me.
