God answers the unspoken prayer of a man who desperately needs vision.

While my brother and I were twins, we were nothing alike. My brother’s personality was obliging, while I always questioned authority. He excelled in school, while I floundered—for I simply couldn’t read more than a few words at a time. Attempts to improve my perceived learning disability left me with a bad attitude and an appointment with a psychiatrist at age 12. Unable to win the respect of my family and peers through academics, I found another path to their approval—through achieving financial success. I painted barns and houses by day and played music by night. When I was sixteen, I purchased my own car.

I managed to graduate from high school but felt my family’s continued skepticism. “He will never make it because he resists authority and dislikes instructions,” they agreed. However, I became very successful, married, and built wealth. “I have arrived!” I thought. But I was never home with my young family. I became a functioning alcoholic. My family had everything money could buy—except for me. After a while, I no longer had them. Faced with a divorce and a huge void in my life, I tried to fill it with more alcohol and partying. Eventually, I lost everything. But God had plans to bring me spiritual insight. 

My vision worsened. I sought medical help and surprisingly learned that my “learning disability” was a vision problem! Now, with my vision corrected after all these years, I could finally enjoy reading. I read everything I could find—except for the Bible. One day, my twin (a sincere Christian by now) brought the familiar black book to my doorstep as a gift, and I refused to take it.

Then I found myself channel surfing one night. “I’m not watching him,” I thought when an evangelist appeared on the screen. “I’m not watching this guy,” I repeated, but I felt the Holy Spirit’s conviction. “Alright, I’ll watch him for ten minutes.”

Six hours later, the walls around my heart broke down. I got on my knees and buried my face in the carpet; I confessed being an unworthy sinner and accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I turned away from alcohol and said no to the wild parties. It wasn’t long before I attended a Sunday-keeping church and bought Bibles by the dozen to share with others. An advertisement to a prophecy seminar at the Seventh-day Adventist Church caught my interest, so I attended. The seminar speaker, Mike Bauler from Mission Projects International Ministry, presented a study on the Second Coming, which challenged my belief in a secret rapture. He preached about the Sabbath, and my arguments for Sunday keeping unraveled. I began to worship on Saturday and to attend a Bible study group led by Mike Bauler. During these studies—and in my own personal study—deeper conviction began to solidify in my heart. I had never officially belonged to any church (and never desired to). Now, for the first time in my life, I felt accepted and received with open arms. I shared what I was learning with my Sunday church friends, and this led to four people being baptized besides myself! I thank God for the physical and spiritual eyesight that I’ve gained. After all these years, I can truly see.

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Location
USA

Author
Brad Rininger is an active lay member of the Everett Seventh-day Adventist Church in Pennsylvania.

How You Can Help
Pray for brother Brad as he continues to witness to his new faith! Pray for his friends who are now coming to church! 

Give to the work of Mission Projects International to help support the evangelistic work we are doing! Mark your gifts “Where Most Needed” and send to: 

Mission Projects International 
PO Box 151
Inchelium, WA 99138

To give securely online, visit: 
www.missionspro.org/donate