The night my son Michael witnessed to his freind Ryan – October 12, 2012
by Tom Valdez – We Are Christian Soldiers
The Denver Channel – 5 injured when natural gas explosion destroys Castle Rock home 10/12/2012
CBS Denver – Explosion Destroys Home in Castle Rock, Family Survives – October 12, 2012
CW2 – Explosion levels Castle Rock house, residents throughout city fell blast – October 12,2012
I tell this story knowing that some will always doubt the existence of Spirit of God. I am proud to give my testimony.
Michael came to me and told me about dreams and thoughts that he had been having about his long time friend, Ryan. Michael told me that he was being convicted to reach Ryan and ensure he accepts the Lord Jesus as his savior. We talked about what he was being told by the Spirit. He told me that he was convicted by the spirit and knew he had to reach Ryan about the Lord. I told him that when he had a chance to speak to Ryan about the Lord, he should. Michael said he would.
Michael came to me a week later and asked me what I used to say to people when I was witnessing to people when I was young. I told Michael that I would have to think about it and get back to him.
I tried to think back but couldn’t find the answer to what I used when I was witness to others about the Lord. Finally I said a prayer and asked the Lord. Instantly it came back to me and I began to recall the stories and facts from the bible that I used to witness to others. I sat down with Michael and told him the stories and how to witness using them. We went over it time and time again. Michael told me that he believed he was ready. I told him if he needed help while he was talking with Ryan I would help him.
Michael came to me on Thursday October 11th 2012 and told me that he and Ryan where going to hang out that night. He told me he was going to witness to him and that if he needed help could he call me. I told him yes and that he will do fine. That I would be there for him. We said a prayer that Ryan would listen to Michael and accept the Lord as his savior.
It was about 11:30 pm when Michael called me. He told me that he was having problems remembering the stories and wanted to come home and have me talk Ryan. I told Michael to come home and that I would. Minutes later both Ryan and Michael came home and I began to tell Ryan the stories I was taught many years ago.
I finished giving my testimony to Ryan and Michael at 1:30 am on the 12th. As I left the kitchen and walked to my bedroom, I said aloud “I did my part Lord, you do yours”. Ryan and Michael where supposed to sleep at Ryan’s that night but they decided to stay at our house.
I was woken up by Ryan’s voice up stairs talking on his phone. I could hear him laugh and say that he was ok over and over again. As I listened Ryan keep answering call after call and he repeated the same thing that he and Michael where ok. I got up when I heard Michael and Ryan coming down stairs. Ryan was telling a friend on his phone that he was ok. Michael told me that Ryan’s house had blown up at around 7am. That everyone was calling to see if he was ok.
Michael told me they were heading to Ryan’s house to check it out his house and he was hoping that his mother and his the 4 kids where ok. I told him to be careful. Ryan’s house had blown up just five hours after we had finished telling him about the Lord Jesus.
When Michael and Ryan left my house, I thanked the Lord out loud for taking care of Michael and Ryan. I went back to bed and told Kelly about what had happened. We talked about how Michael and Ryan could have been killed. I told Kelly about what I had said to the Lord as I was coming back to bed last night. I said another prayer, again thanking our Father for all that he had done for my son Michael and Ryan.
When Michael came home that afternoon and I talked to him about how the Lord Jesus had just shown himself to Ryan. And to our family also. Ryan’s mother had a black eye and she had cut her feet getting out of the debris and their 4 adopted children came out of the explosion with just minor scratches. The house blow up because of a natural gas leak in the basement. That is where Ryan’s bedroom was.
Michael and I talked to Ryan about how if Michael had not talked to him about the Lord and both of them had not come to the house that night, they would have not survived the explosion.
I went by Ryan’s house about 5 days later and saw both of his parents looking through the remains of their house. I stopped and talked to them. I told them I was happy that no one was hurt. I said that this was the Lord telling them that they needed to be thankful for their family. That Lord had taken care of them. They agreed, that it was a miracle no one died.
About a 2 weeks later I got a call from Ryan’s parents and they asked me to see if I could take a look at their laptop and desktop computer to recover data. I couldn’t recover the data from the laptop as it was crushed. I was able to get the data off of the desktop even thought it was heavily damaged.
I put the laptop in a box and it sits in my dining room as a reminder of the power of the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Ryan and some of Michael’s friends came over to the house and one of the boys asked what was that, and pointed at the crushed laptop. Ryan said “That was God showing me that he existed”.
When I tell this story I always talk about if Ryan and Michael hadn’t come and stayed at my house that night they wouldn’t be with us today.
Michael and I did our job that night and the Lord Jesus did his.