The Second-Career Call

Matt Klassen

I cannot recall the exact date when I first felt the call into full-time ministry, but I do clearly remember the event that sparked it. It was a busy weekend at the movie theater complex I managed. I was in my office working on the computer when a panicked call came over the radio from one of the ushers, stating there was a medical emergency in Auditorium #7.

I shot out of my chair and headed to what I knew was a sold-out auditorium of about 270 people. When I arrived, it was clear who needed help. A teenage girl was having severe convulsions in her chair. One of my associate managers, who had followed me, was already on the phone with a 911 operator. I quickly radioed for the movie to be stopped as we attempted to help this poor family.

Seeing this girl helpless in her seizures was unsettling, but what remains most seared in my mind is the picture of her family. The girl’s father was standing on the stairway, staring at his daughter. He made no effort to comfort his wife, aid his daughter, or even pray. The mother was hysterical and unable to help. The younger brother reclined in his chair looking irritated and embarrassed. Only the grandmother held the poor convulsing girl.

I rushed up the stairs to the family. Immediately, the mother wrapped me in a hug. As I reassured her that help was coming, two things went through my mind. First, this family’s inability to respond with compassion moved me. My second thought was that this family needed Christ. Yes, they needed physical rescue, but it was clear that they were in turmoil. They needed the Savior!