The Making of a Preacher -Prep

Interview with a Preacher

Jay O'Toole: "Mr. Marks, what is life like for you now when you compare the now to life before this whole amazing journey?"

Matthew Marks: "First of all, Mr. O'Toole, I would like to change things to the first-name basis, if that's alright with you."

Jay O'Toole: "Sure. Just call me, 'Jay.'"

Matthew Marks: "Of course. And please call me, 'Matt.'"

Jay O'Toole: "Alright, Matt. Let me restate my question in two parts. You've been through quite an ordeal on two planets. Has your journey in life been worth the grief that you've experienced? How have you been changed from when you began as a young child?"

Matthew Marks: "The first part is easy, Jay. It is a resounding, 'YES!' It has most definitely been worth every trial to come to the point in my life that I know I have been transformed by the touch of Jesus Christ on the whole of my being. All that really matters in life is the right relationship with The Lord, which is the foundation for my right relationship with my fellow man."

Jay O'Toole: "So, this has changed you for better, it would seem."

Matthew Marks: "Indeed! I started life as quite a boisterous little boy, who was full of life and quite a handful for my dad, but then I became a rather obsequious, fawning, mousy little preschooler after Dad told me off rather harshly, letting me know in no uncertain terms that such 'lack of control' would not be tolerated in his house. From that time on throughout my teens and spilling through my first quarter of a century as an adult, I was never really sure if I had chosen well, if I was doing well in life or if I was essentially an okay person, until my parents affirmed this with a certain look of acceptance on their faces or with the words, 'You're okay, Son.'"

Jay O'Toole: "That's awful! You mean to tell me that your parents had you so much under their thumbs that you couldn't own your emotions nor your own choices?"

Matthew Marks: "That's right, Jay. I learned that it was not acceptable to express anything on my own, except for joy and happiness. Negative emotions were shamed, shunned or 'corrected' as quickly as possible in order for the home to maintain its pleasant persona and status quo. This has followed me throughout most of my life, until the wonderful transformation of the past couple of years. As an adult in my 40s and more recently in my 50s, I've often wondered, 'What do I like to do?', 'What do I really want to be?', and, essentially, 'Who am I?'"

Jay O'Toole: "You said that there was a change. Did you really change? How? And how do you know that it is a permanent change?"

Matthew Marks: "Jay, when The Lord confronted me, stopping me up short in the midst of my coma, showing me in the mist how He had created me on purpose and without the slightest mistake on His part, I finally came to see that all of the characteristics of my life, that I had been trying for years to change on my own were in fact placed there in my life by The One Who made me as a gift to the world, since no other human in all of history had been given my very unique and specific skills and characteristics. In short, nobody else can do what I can do. If I don't live as I was created to live, then there is no other human being, who can perform my very precise role in Humanity."

Jay O'Toole: "Matt, my eyes are starting to glaze over. Can you break this down into even simpler concepts?"

Matthew Marks: "There's so much here, Jay. I'll try. I was a happy, playful toddler. However, I experienced verbal abuse. Then, I turned into a confused, quiet preschooler. I learned to be happy on the outside throughout my school years, but I still preferred to be at home and especially in my own bedroom. I had difficulty making choices for much of my life. When I met Jesus face-to-face, I saw my worth in His Eyes, and I heard my worth in His Voice. Now, I can choose and live with confidence. I now see myself as valued by The One, Who made me. How do I know it's permanent? When I look at a granite mountain, I feel confident that it's not going anywhere. When I look into the eyes of Jesus, I see the same thing."

Jay O'Toole: "There you have it, folks. Life transforms from darkness to light and from doubt to confidence when you know your value to The One, Who made you. Thanks, Matt. Great interview!"

Matthew Marks: "Thanks, Jay! It has been a real pleasure to talk with you!"

Jay O'Toole: "And thank you, folks, for tuning in to 'Interview with a Preacher.' Join us next week when we'll talk with Jonah, the first preacher (or human, for that matter,) to take a submarine ride. I'm Jay O'Toole, your host for this Wink MorninGlory Production. Have a great day!"