Raised in a Christian home, Joe walked away from God at age 13. Against his parent's will, he enlisted in the Air Force, and began a career that would lead him even further from God. One night in a moment of raw honesty, Joe challenged God to prove his existence. God answered Joe by pinning him to the floor and proving to him once and for all that God is very real.
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The Night God Pinned Me to the Floor
Although I was brought up in a Christian home, I abandoned the Lord at a very young age — 13 years old. My parents struggled to get me to attend church, but nothing availed. Though I did not drift into deep sin, I did sin. God, however, does not color sin in shades of black, white or gray. To him sin is sin, period.Upon completing school at age 17, I went to enlist in the Air Force. However, because of my young age, the recruiter informed me that one of my parents was required to sign for my enlistment. This they refused to do, until I threatened to leave home and never return. Dad signed; if he hadn't, I no doubt would have followed through with my threat.
I spent three years in the Air Force — two and one half of them overseas — serving as an operating engineer. I was trained to operate heavy construction equipment such as bulldozers, road-graders, heavy cranes, heavy engineering vehicles, C2 crash-truck cranes used to lift and haul away crashed aircraft, and most of the other types of heavy construction equipment. By my eighteenth birthday, I had attained the rank of engineering sergeant.
Nothing Moved Me
During my time in the Air Force, I attended chapel service only once — for the funeral service of a buddy who committed suicide while on duty. His fiancé had written him a "Dear John" letter, saying she was pregnant and was going to marry the man who was the father of her child. My buddy killed himself by stealing a jeep, traveling at floorboard speed, and intentionally rolling the vehicle over. He died instantly. Even this didn't move me toward the Lord.When my time finally came for discharge, I was offered additional promotion if I would agree to reenlist. I refused, arriving home at 20 years of age, still unsaved.
At home I took employment in my field as an operating engineer. It was an extremely well paying, respected job in civilian life, and I felt I had "the world by the tail." At night I went out with my buddies, though I did not drink heavily and carouse as they did. I was flush with money, drove a late-model Chrysler, dated pretty girls and partied or traveled on weekends.
Feelings of Futility
Then one night about three in the morning, I arrived home with a feeling of futility to my life. My parents were asleep, as were my two brothers and two sisters. I entered the parlor, closed the door and fell to my knees. At that point in my life, I wanted to doubt the existence of God, but I never really could. The order I saw in creation meant there had to be an infinite, astounding mind behind it all.
Pinned by God
There in the parlor, with tears flowing down my cheeks, I shook my fist heavenward saying, "God, if you're really there, prove it to me!" The challenge had barely passed my lips when just like in the Book of Acts, what seemed like a great wind rushed through the room. It seemed to come from the top corner to my left and it knocked me flat on the floor and held me there. When I attempted to get up, it pushed me back down. Terrified and trembling, I literally could feel the presence pinning me to the floor. Pushing against it with both palms, I pleaded, "Let me up! Let me up!" Disregarding my plea, the presence held me there.Continue Reading "The Night God Pinned Me to the Floor."
