25 April | Youth
«For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him.» 2 Chronicles 16:9
Ismael was born in Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil. Since he was little, he was passionate about music, especially that of the King’s Herald quartet. At a young age, he moved to São Paulo to study at a famous musical conservatory. The boy's dream was to be a professional musician and master the techniques of the violin, his favorite instrument.
Although he grew up in a Christian environment, Ismael turned away from the ways of Jesus. On Saturdays, instead of going to church, he would lie on a park bench listening to music. On one of these Saturdays, he heard a choir singing in a church in the distance. He went in to see. It was the choir rehearsal at the Tucuruvi Adventist Church, in São Paulo. From that day on, Ismael started attending church. Still, he did not make the decision to return to Christ.
On a Wednesday, after taking some music classes in Tatuí, Ismael decided to return to São Paulo, even though it was late at night. He rolled down the car windows and put in a King’s Heralds CD. He was very tired, and the music ended up lulling him to sleep. Before arriving in Osasco, Ismael fell asleep at the wheel and woke up scared, seeing the car spinning several times on the Castelo Branco highway, at more than 100 kilometers per hour. Desperate, he saw death up close.
Providentially, the vehicle hit the iron curb on the shoulder and stopped a few meters from a large ravine. Ismael immediately got out of the car and, shaking, sat down on the asphalt. Suddenly, without knowing how, he heard the song “You Are Never Alone”, by the quartet, playing on the car's stereo. At that moment, Ismael began to cry. It was so impactful that he decided to give his life to Jesus and be baptized.
Days later, Ismael sent me a message on a social network asking me to baptize him, because he liked the “bass” voice. On June 21, 2015, I had the privilege of baptizing him.
You don't need to go through an experience similar to Ismael's to know that God cares about you. Remember today that “you are never alone. God will never leave you. He sees everything. He doesn’t hide when He sees you cry.”