How I came to know Jesus began out of neglect. My cousin would fail to return tools he'd borrow from a neighbor. I would return the borrowed tools to keep peace between my cousin and his neighbor, Ben Paulson. We soon became instant and best friends, which in turn would change my life forever. This happened in the summer of 1984. I'd just completed auto shop at Portland Community College.
Common ground:
Ben and I had many things in common. Both of us were car nuts and physically disabled. And he's a Christian. I was in need of Christ, but didn't know it at first. Our friendship grew via our sharing our struggles and his testifying of Christ's influence in his life. Ben is a paraplegic from a Motocross (Dirt Bike) racing accident in the mid 1970's. I'm currently legally blind. I've had poor vision because I was incubated with too much oxygen after premature birth on October 22, 1955. I've also had two operations. The first surgery was for a detached retina. I was beat up at a gas station I worked for in 1975. The second surgery was in 1989 due to rejection of a band used in the first operation. Both operations were on my "good" left eye. The right eye is almost totally blind and inoperable.
Working relationships:
As the summer of 1984 was passing, Ben hired me to work in his bicycle shop. For nearly a year I worked for Ben and the influence Christ had on him began to "rub off" onto me. Somehow the things I liked to do, like drink lots of beer, didn't seem so fun anymore.
"Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes:"
In April of 1985 I got a job at a transmission shop. I played around with "church" a bit, and began to read the Bible. One evening I was watching a Televangelist, he preached his message and followed it with the "sinner's prayer." I knelt in front of my television and prayed the prayer. At first not much happened, yet I noticed some changes that I knew were of God. More radical changes soon followed, all thought impossible at the time they occurred. In August of 1985 I got a new job rebuilding front-drive car axles which lasted 3 years. In April of 1986 I qualified to purchase a house and, in June, I moved in. Also in June of 1986, the most impossible of dreams came true. A drivers' license! Well, a moped license. My vision had improved in my left eye to qualify, definitely a miracle as far as I'm concerned!
Holy Reminder:
By November of 1986 I was back in the grind of work, drinking, and being worldly. Oh I was happy about all that had happened; I just let the daily routine take over.
Early one November day at work, God came a calling! I was on my way to lunch and He stopped me dead in my tracks. He audibly reminded me, asking what I was going to do about that "sinner's prayer" I prayed in April of 1985. I noticed myself in a haze, then I looked down at my feet. Instead of a concrete floor, I saw a hole. A hole with smoke rising out of it! "Oh boy! I'm going to Hell if I don’t do something about this!" I reasoned as I began to cry.
I panicked. I had to talk to someone. I jumped onto my moped and "raced" over to the Prince of Peace Christian school. Ben's wife, Jeannie, taught there. I pulled into the lot, ran into the office in tears, and asked for Jeannie. She soon entered the office and I told her what happened. She began to cry too, as she and the office staff consoled me. I returned to work late, with co-workers asking if I were all right. They saw me leave in tears, in a giant rush. I told them I was fine.Altar call:
Jeannie told Ben and he made plans to take me to church. On the first and second Sundays, Ben and his family came to take me to church. I chickened out both times. On the third Sunday I was ready to go; I was getting a bit convicted.
This time Ben didn't show. I called him and he couldn't go to church. His girls were sick. I had to get to church, so I rode my moped. When I arrived I went in and sat in the back. When the meeting ended, an altar call was announced. I went forward, and raised my hand for prayer. Two men came to help me pray to receive Christ as my LORD and Savior! This was on November 28, 1986; the greatest day of my life. Many years of prayers from two sisters and my grandmother finally came to fruition. Wow! Praise Jesus!New Life:
Since my salvation many things have happened. Between 1987 and 1992 I was involved in the Pro-life movement as a prayer intercessor. I felt a connection between myself and the preborn children facing slaughter. In February 1992 I did my last "rescue" and preached my first Gospel message at an abortion clinic. Sadly, the "rescues" ended due to the passage and enforcement of laws aimed specifically at pro-lifers
By February 1993 I was wondering where the LORD wanted me. I soon found out at a men's prayer breakfast. The LORD answered my prayers by telling me He didn't want me to be Pro-life, but be Pro-Jesus.
In March of 1993 I was introduced to street evangelism. I began at Saturday Market by holding a big banner for Mark Mayberry, a local evangelist. Immediately I was "baptized" by mobs of angry New Agers screaming at me. They were wimps in contrast to half crazed Pro-aborts. I stayed with evangelism and fell in love with it. Within a few months I joined up with Ron and Karen Rohman, full time. I'd carry big banners and pass out tracts. During Christmas of 1994 I began to preach, and haven't stopped yet. I continue to use banners, sandwich boards, and tracts to supplement the preaching.
Pioneer Square and SW 5th & Morrison are the two places I evangelize downtown. I've been to several colleges between Eugene and Seattle at least twice and to Portland State more times than I can count. This is a great joy for me.Needs and prayer requests:
Please pray for my eyes. Man's technology has done all it can. My biggest problem is with my right eye. I cannot see people approaching from the right. This is most unsettling when it comes to "suicide" bicyclists and angry "sinners." I'm on Social (in)Security Income and I'm having a tough time each Winter paying bills. This year is especially rough. Property taxes caused an escrow shortage that raised my house payments by $90 a month. I have a shop and mechanical tools. My shop is set up to do some type of bench work. Please pray for wisdom in this area. Evangelism is still my main "job."
Thank You for your prayers and your support,
Martin M. Kennedy