Life at the Loft

Hey Lofters, here's a blog from our fellow Lofter and friend, Brett Marko.  He writes a remarkable blog (far better writer than I) Left of  Self Center --- check it out. 

This is Brett's story at The Loft...      

I once heard Steve Sample, the president of the University of Southern California, say in a seminar, I have been an Episcopalian for 44 years and a Christian for 25 years. This statement holds true in my life, too. For years, I believed that I was a Christian, yet my life did not show it. If you looked at how I ran my life, the decisions I made, and how I interacted with other people you would have noticed that I was centered on one thing: my self center.

My life centered on looking out for myself. In my drive to get what I wanted, my wake was littered with the bodies of hurt, destroyed, and damaged people who had come in contact with me. Loyalty, Compassion, and Love for anyone were only given if it coincided with what I wanted, needed, and desired. I was an intelligent, talented, personable and savvy person, but eventually my actions caught up with me and my life fell apart. In a hole of my own making, I was alone and without help. I reaped the harvest of what I had sown, and now I sat down to this bitter meal. I now hold onto Jonah 2 as a reminder of my desperation especially verses 7-9.

When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you.  What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD."

The Lord found me and I began to understand that it wasn’t about religion and doing religious things, it was about a relationship with God through Christ. I found myself reluctantly selected to lead a small group. It was ironic; the man who knew the least about fellowship and relationship was called to lead the fellowship and by doing so learned more about fellowship than he even dreamed. I only agreed to do it because of a man nearby believed in me and said I should. God was going to call me to be minister to this man a few weeks later.

Early on, the severe difficulties in this man’s life were obvious. We saw them play out before our eyes. I told him we needed to talk to a pastor and planned it out for Sunday. The Friday before, I got a frantic call that he was being evicted and had to move. He would call me Saturday and let me know where he was going. The minor details he gave consisted of the subdivision name, that it was east of Conroe, and the house was on a corner. No call came. Saturday passed. Sunday came and there was no word and he didn’t answer his phone. Something deep inside me told me to go find him. My mind screamed, “Don’t get involved, it’s not your problem.” But still I felt the compulsion to go. I set off to find this man with no real clue as to where he lived. With guidance along the way, I walked up to the door and the man answered with tears in his eyes saying, “I knew you would come”. We saw the pastor that night and he accepted the Lord for the first time in true relationship. I had the privilege of baptizing Brian with our pastor a couple of months later.

I have been at the Loft from the beginning and I guide my life on the premise of seeking out the hurting and seeking out the lost and helping them to find relationship with God. I once was lost, but now I seek the lost in Christ’s name. I once was in darkness, but now I bring light to those places where the light seldom goes.

I greet people now because once I was the person that come up to the door of the church and then turn around and go to Denny’s because I was late. I come alongside other men and walk with them in their walk because God supplies tremendous people to come walk alongside of me, even today. I write and share the stories of my desperation, my sinful life, my focus on selfish pursuits, my meeting needs in inappropriate ways, and my weaknesses and trials to show that if God can love and save a wretch like me, that no one is beyond his reach. I preach a gospel that God seeks all of us to be in relationship to Him. All we have to do is accept his invitation and walk with Him.

Go Brett Go.....Lofters go and do.....

Selah