The events of Aug 11 (Part 2)

God started preparing me for what I'll term my "awakening" during the summer of 2015, when several men from our body were tasked with teaching our Adult Bible Institute (ABI) different spiritual disciplines. At the end of the summer (early August) it dawned on me that I was not asked to teach even though I am more than capable (one of my spiritual gifts). I thought of Hebrews 5:12 - For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

Now that went down sideways. My pride swelled up inside me and told me that I should have been up there teaching and that I would have done a much better job than some of those guys. And God used that to get me to set up a meeting with Pete (one of our elders).

On Aug 11th, Pete and I met at my house, and I presented my struggles with getting into the Word to him. I told him what God had revealed to me through Heb 5:12 and that I knew why I wasn't asked to teach during the summer: I wasn't in prayer and the Word. Well, that wasn't the real reason, but God used it anyways.

Pete was somewhat confused. He knew that I got home from work around 3:30 or 4 pm and that Brandy didn't get home until 5 or so. He pointed out that that time could be used for some serious Bible study. He recommended at least a half an hour in the Word. Problem solved.

I didn't tell Pete that day what I was doing with that time. My day after work consisted of at least an hour or so of WoW before preparing dinner and at least three more hours of WoW after dinner. So, upwards of five hours a weeknight of WoW and as much as I could on the weekends without totally alienating Brandy.

That day, Aug 11th, God performed surgery on my heart. He cut out WoW. Immediately after Pete left, I walked upstairs and deleted WoW and SW:toR from my computers. Usually when I would quit for a while, I would say good bye to my online friends, make sure my character mailboxes were empty, and store my toons for future play.

I didn't do any of that. I was never coming back. Ever.