02/29/2024
On Tuesday evening, this finite world lost Spencer Angel, a true man of God with a heart of gold. Yet, he wasn't always a man of God. While he always had a big heart, his heart was once controlled by other influences...drugs, alcohol, violence.
I knew Spencer and Dawn (his wife) for nearly 40 years. I used to babysit their four children from time to time. Little did I know then that their oldest daughter would one day marry my brother and become my sister-in-love. Over the years, I have come to consider the whole Angel family as part of my extended family.
But, I used to be afraid of Spencer when I was their babysitter I didn't like when he would come home from work before Dawn. He was not a very nice person then. He even had EVIL tattooed on his fingers. He scared me. He seemed mean and gruff and unstable. And, he would have fully admitted that he was back then! If you ever heard his story, he would share how unstable he was.
Then, after nearly losing his wife and his family due to his poor choices, he committed to going to church. He committed to stop drinking. And, he kept those commitments. He didn't want his wife to leave him and take the kids. That was a powerful motivator. See, despite the evil that was controlling him, he loved his family deeply. Little did he know, his commitments were doing to bring him to an encounter with a Savior who loved him even more deeply.
He went to church. He began to meet and make friends with some of the men from church. Then, he met Jesus who had been pursuing his heart all along. Spencer bowed before Jesus and made the decision to give Jesus control of his life...fully, completely, totally.
When I tell you the complete turnaround in this man's life that occurred...it is truly nothing short of a miracle that only a relationship with Jesus can perform! Now, he wasn't perfect by any means. He still struggled with anger issues and outbursts. He still struggled with other things as well that probably only he and his family could testify to. But, he sure wasn't scary anymore. In fact, Spencer was transformed from scary into saint.
See, he was a new creation. That's what Jesus did in his life. He no longer pursued evil and substance abuse. He pursued God. He was a faithful husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and son of God. I can say that there are few people who could ever love his family and others as much as Spencer. Under his sometimes gruff exterior, was someone who would give up everything for his family and those he loved.
His big heart prompted him to go on several mission trip to Peru and then to Haiti and I'm sure others as well. I got to go with him several times to Peru and then he went with my husband, Wil, to Haiti. He used his skills as a master mason to help build churches and repair homes. He gave up his time, talent and resources to faithfully serve his church.
Friends - that is what God does! He is all about transforming lives! Spencer would be the first to say that if Jesus could do that in him, Jesus can take anyone's life and turn it around.
Do you need a turnaround? Spencer knew the answer. And, I know that he would want even his death to point people to Jesus. If you want to know the Jesus that Spencer did - the Jesus who took his life from the rubble and rebuilt it into something beautiful, something good, something holy, something filled with love...let me tell you about my Jesus and Spencer's Jesus.
This is what God called us to do here in Federalsburg - to relentlessly pursue the people God loves - those who are struggling, those who are hurting, those who think they are too far gone, those who are desperate, those who are seeking. We want to reach out to all the "Spencers" out there and be a bridge to connect them to peace, freedom and purpose in Jesus!
When you partner with us in prayer and support, you are on that mission with us! Thank you! Let's tell others about Jesus together!
