LISTEN AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS

LISTEN WITH ALL YOUR HEART

Those who really listen to God’s Word with all their heart will understand even the parables, and they will bring forth much fruit. As our January Bible study was being held at church, I stared at our text, Matthew 13. The name Dixie Randolph was written there in the margin by verse 9. I remembered writing her name there last year when I read Matthew through in my daily devotions.

Dixie is a perfect example of one who heard God’s Word and accepted it totally. She had accepted Jesus into her heart as a young teenager after my friend Donna had invited her to church. I learned that Dixie lived around the corner from our house, so I suggested we walk to prayer meeting together the next Wednesday. It was about a mile to church, so we had time to talk at length.

Dixie told me that Jesus had changed her life but she said it was really hard to follow Him. She didn’t tell me until years later that one of her brothers was taking drugs or that she came from a very poor family. I didn’t even know that anyone took illegal drugs for entertainment in the 1940's. She probably thought that I wouldn’t believe her. I had never been inside Dixie’s home or met any of her family at that time.

I had been a believer only about four years myself and had given myself to serve the Lord wherever He needed me. I felt that He might lead me to China, but I knew definitely that He wanted to use me right then to witness to people around me in Los Angeles.

Dixie was already a believer, so all I did was encourage her. I told her that God would never fail her, to keep on trusting Him no matter what the cost. We became close friends, but Dixie never told me until years later that her mother had threatened to kick her out of the home.

“Stop talking about Jesus so much!” her mother had yelled at her. “I don’t want to hear that. I’ve heard all that before, and God doesn’t care about us. We just do what we can, whatever we want to do.” Dixie began reading her Bible at night under the covers or in the kitchen when everyone else was in bed. She couldn’t give up her faith in Jesus Christ, for He had changed her and given her something to live for.

I was busy with my studies in high school. It was important to keep my grades up so I could go on to Bible college and qualify to serve the Lord overseas or wherever He took me. But Dixie and I became close friends. She came to church regularly and also attended Euodia Club where we met once a week near our school to study the Bible. At that point in my life, I was just an encourager to anyone who crossed my path, and a witness for Jesus to the unsaved classmates that I knew. I was a rather shy person, but I did my best, and that was all that God asked of me.

Dixie asked me for advice about what Bible college to attend. She didn’t go to the one I recommended but went to Biola right there in Los Angeles. That was fine. I left her in the hands of the Lord and kept in touch as much as possible to encourage her to go on with God. I went to Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alberta, Canada, and graduated in 1953.

Imagine my surprise when I returned home from Laos many years later and found that Dixie was married to a hospital chaplain, David Randolph, and was doing a puppet ministry among juvenile delinquents at the state-run Juvenile Hall in Santa Ana. Later they moved to San Bernardino, where they are still busy giving out the Good News of salvation. Their financial support has dwindled in recent years, but Dixie and Dave sacrifice much and continue to give all their time to the Lord’s work in hospitals and state youth facilities. Dixie helps many young people whose families have kicked them out. Through Christ many discouraged young men and women have found deliverance from addictions and criminal activities.

Dixie has been more of a blessing to me than I have been to her. She has probably won more people to Christ and has endured more hardships than I have ever known. She has given her full time to Christian evangelism for more than forty years with no paycheck at all. In 1991 she was recognized publicly as one of the Points of Light by then President George H. W. Bush because of the many lives that had been changed through her selfless, dedicated ministry. I have pictures of her with him beside the plane, Air Force One, that brought him to the ceremony.

All I did was be an encourager. You can do that, too. Who do you know who needs hope and encouragement that God will be faithful to take them victoriously through life? Tell others what Jesus can do for them. But first we must each be one who listens closely to God and follows Him with a sincere heart.