2 Years Ago

February 8, 2004 a dear friend and influence on my life changed worlds stepping from Time into Eternity.  Pastor Dan Rothwell. 

I met him in 1976.  I was on a spiritual search.  A young girl that worked at KFGO radio at that time suggested I might find it interesting to attend a bible study he was holding on Wednesday nights.

 

I went to the building on 10th street and there was no one there.  All of a sudden this nice man introduced himself.  He had longish black hair, was kind and about my age.  I told him why I was there.  There was no Bible study that night but could I come back. I said I would, I didn't.  But I didn't forget how he treated me.

 

A few years later I was invited to a presentation the same church was putting on at the Fargo Convention Center.  It was good enough.  But there was a man I knew there as a carouser, a wild man, who was taking up the offering in Kentucky Fried Chicken buckets. 

 

I said Hi. So did he.  He worked in a car dealership.  A year later I was at a low point in my life, my marriage, my health.  I stopped at the dealership just to talk to this friend who had obviously gone thru a life change.  He told me what had happened.  I wanted that.  So he prayed for me.  I stepped out in faith.  I prayed to receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.  I began going to the Church Dan Rothwell was pastor of.  I had never heard anything like that.  I had never seen anything like that.  I wanted what they had.  I wanted their freedom.

 

I began going to a prayer meeting that Pastor Dan conducted on Saturday Mornings.  This is months after I was prayed for in the car dealership.  I was enjoying this new fellowship but I wanted more.  I knew, there has to be more.

On my knees, all alone, without anyone around, in this prayer meeting the Spirit of God fell on me.  I began to speak in tongues and I was ruined forever. I'll never ever be the same.  I am so happy that in 1980 this all happened.  It is one of the most wonderful glorious things that ever happened to me.  I thank God every day for the fullness of His Spirit in me.

 

I became a member of that Church.  I became friends with Pastor Dan. I told him things about me I wasn't proud of.  Having been a Bible Scholar even before I became a believer we began a habit of discussing his sermons under preparation every week.  I would offer my 2 cents worth.  This became fun for both of us.  Iron sharpened iron.

 

Then I began teaching. I would watch what he did and then I did the same.  He was so influential in my life.  He was apostolic and didn't really understand it.  He was Prophetic in his consolation and didn't know it.  He was wise.  Very wise.  He didn't counsel like a Pastor.  He counseled like the wisdom of God.  And when he taught he could wring more truth out of a verse of scripture than anyone I had ever seen preach.  I wanted that anointing.

 

His influence was that of how to lead by example.  I never wanted to disappoint him.  For years I would have dreams where I would find myself awakened by fear that I had promised to do something for him and didn't.  He showed you could be bold and trust God.  He brought full blown Pentecost to life with balance.  We may not see his like again on this side of the veil.  I look forward to seeing him on the other side.  He would be 61 now.  He was 6 months older than me.  I met him when I was 30 and so was he.  New to Fargo. 

 

I no longer grieve. I just miss him.  I hope he would not be disappointed at what I have made of the investment he made in me.  I don't think he would be. 

 

Tomorrow morning I will teach the Book of Revelation with a mantle of anointing I can point back to a little Church in Fargo ND. 

 

God Bless Pastor Dan's family.  In a distant way I'm one of them.