Albert McMakin, a 24 year old farmer, had just given his life to Christ the year before. He heard Dr. Mordecai Ham was coming to speak at a tent meeting. He was so exited that he invited countless friends and family members. Many of them agreed to come…except Billy.
Billy was the handsome, big-man-on-campus at the local high school. He didn’t have much interest or time for Jesus. Albert, though, was smarter than your average bear. He borrowed a truck from a friend and asked Billy to drive it. “You don’t even need to stay for the meeting,” said Albert, “just drive me to and from.” Since Billy didn’t have a vehicle of his own and desperately wanted to drive, he agreed to Albert’s proposition.
Billy stayed outside in the truck during the whole time, but he listened to Ham’s words. By the end of the tent meeting, though, Jesus had his hooks in him; young Billy Graham walked forward during the alter call and gave his life to Jesus Christ.
Yes, Billy Graham is a man who has changed the world; but that’s not who I’m referring to in the title of this post.
You’ve probably heard of Billy Graham, but have any of you heard of Albert McMakin? Chances are, the answer is no. However, his is no obscure name in the ledgers of heaven, for his enthusiasm and willingness to share the Good News of Christ to anyone willing to listen (and some, like Billy, who weren’t willing to listen) has rippled through eternity in a grandiose way.
How different would the world be had McMakin kept the Good News to himself?
Do you have an Albert McMakin in your life? I do. I actually have several, and if you take even one of them out of my life, the trajectory of my steps goes in a very different direction. I am eternally grateful for each one of them: Mr. Wenger, Travis, Steve, Matt, Yohan, and Darwin (Isn’t that ironic that one of the men who helped lead me to Christ is named “Darwin”! Ha! Take that, Richard Dawkins.).
Though sometimes fear and apathy get the best of me, It is men like these and stories like McMakin’s that keep me intent on speaking of Jesus whenever I can. May you be encouraged by his story in the same direction.
