Turning Points
Life is a journey. It has a beginning and it has an end. All along its path are events, places
and people who are turning points. Here, I relate some of these turning points in my own
journey. Hopefully, the stories will illuminate and maybe entertain some of those who care
enough to read.
Life is a journey. It has a beginning and it has an end. All along its path are events, places
and people who are turning points. Here, I relate some of these turning points in my own
journey. Hopefully, the stories will illuminate and maybe entertain some of those who care
enough to read.
You couldn’t help but notice this one guy in our EE class. He was loud-mouthed,
arrogant, profane and although smart, made everyone too aware of it. Turns out that
he was in Navy ROTC and had been raised in Hodgenville, Kentucky, only 12 miles
from New Haven where I spent my childhood.
arrogant, profane and although smart, made everyone too aware of it. Turns out that
he was in Navy ROTC and had been raised in Hodgenville, Kentucky, only 12 miles
from New Haven where I spent my childhood.
It was just the luck of the draw that when our engineering class at University of Louisville divided into
two sections for the co-op quarters, he was in the opposite section from me. So I didn’t see him for
two years until the two sections re-combined for the senior year. When John Ed Robertson showed
up for classes and lab work in that last year, he was a different person. A mild spirit and humility
clothed him and though his intelligence was every bit as vigorous, it was not advertised anymore.
The transformation was so apparent that he drew my attention.
And then he invited me along with several others to join him in a bull session in his dorm room one
night to talk about our future plans. I don’t know why I decided to go but I did. That night we sat
around shooting the bull about what we hoped to do after college. Each guy laid out what he hoped
his life would be. I have not the faintest recollection of what my profound utterances were. But I do
remember that John Ed went last and related what had happened to him in the previous two years.
He told how he had been converted to Christ through the influence of someone he had met while on
co-op.
That was the first time I had ever heard a “Christian testimony.” I was silent but deeply impressed.
Robertson’s life backed up his claim that he had been changed. As I left for home that evening I was
filled with wonderment at such an unusual story.
Some days later, Robertson stood up before one of our classes had begun and announced that he
was starting a personal bible study in his dorm room on Saturday mornings and invited anyone
interested to come. Although it was totally contrary to my backward nature, I decided to show up. Ed
Cambron was the only other one who responded and the three of us began a weekly study of the
simple truths contained in the New Testament.
It was the prelude to the turning point of my life. At John Ed's invitation, I accompanied him to Lake
Wawassee Indiana to attend a conference of the Navigators, a non-denominational Christian
discipleship ministry. This is where I experienced my personal conversion to Christ. Over the next
months, he helped me get started with the disciplines of a walk with Christ, memorizing key scripture
passages from little packets of cards that have been a pillar of my soul ever since. I'll never stop
thanking him for that; hiding God's Word in the heart through memorization has truly been one of the
most beneficial things I ever did.
Under his leadership, on Wednesday nights we went door to door in the mens' dorms sharing our
personal faith with other college students. We prayed together often and of course, continued the
weekly bible studies. I spent a weekend in his home in Hodgenville with his family and met his father
who owned a drugstore there. Then shortly after graduation when John Ed took a Navy duty station in
the D.C. area, he worked with a Navigators team on the campus of George Washington University. At
his invitation, I went up one weekend to meet the guys and see the work there and he urged me to
consider re-locating to that area so as to be involved in the ministry and get more Christian training. I
thought a lot about this but eventually declined.
John Ed went on to serve his minimum tour in the Navy but resigned his commission to spend a life
time serving Christ with The Navigators. Much of his life was spent in France but in recent years he
led ministries to service men in the U.S. John Ed called me occasionally over the years when in the
states but except for that and his periodic newsletter, I essentially lost contact with him and never
knew his wife and three children.
I was stunned to learn recently that John Ed had died from a biking accident. He was a Godly man
and one of the most influential in my life.
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| And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 KJV) |
| Copyright © 2005 leoshoemaker.com |
| John Ed June 14, 2007 |
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