The Night Tim Walked Across the Room -- Jason Brown

The Night Tim Walked Across the Room -- Jason Brown

On Sunday, I was reminded of the person who walked across the room to ask me a very important question.

I was a sophomore in college and the Spirit was at work in my life.  At the time, I had no idea the stuff going on in my heart was the work of the Spirit -- it was just a feeling, a change in perspective, a hope that hadn't been there previously.  Anyway, after not doing much spiritually my freshman year, I had decided to attend a gathering of Christians at my college.  I showed up at the designated spot on campus and was immediately introduced to some extraordinarily weird things -- a couple of people were playing guitars and everyone else was singing songs I had never heard with their hands in the air and their eyes closed.  I thought, "WHOA!!!! What in the world is going on here?"

At the end of the night, as I was contemplating NEVER coming back, a junior on the basketball team, Tim Loomans, approached me.  We knew each other's name -- I was on the team as well -- but we had never really talked.  Tim walked across the room and said, "Jason, I was hoping to have a Bible discussion group in Gaass Hall and I was wondering if we might be able to meet in your room?"  I told him I would need to ask my roommates.  Fortunately for Tim, I had dragged my roommates to this gathering so I was able to talk to them on the spot.  They all thought it would be OK.  I told Tim he could use our room and we quickly negotiated a time:  Monday nights at 7 PM in Gaass Hall 101.  

All Tim wanted to do that night was secure a spot to have a Bible discussion in a dorm room.  He had no idea that his walk across the room was an instrumental part of the Spirit's work in grabbing hold of my life for good.  He didn't know the Spirit had been powerfully at work in my life in the weeks leading up to his invitation.  He couldn't see that the scripture discussion in the Gospels on Monday night in a stinky, sweaty guy's dormitory would become my Ebenezer -- the touchstone for a life-time of following Jesus.  No, all Tim did was walk across the room.

I wonder what stories you have . . . of people who have walked across the room to touch your life or ways you have walked across the room and found yourself participating with God in something that completely blew you away.  We look forward to reading your posts. 

Posted on Mon, March 9, 2009 by Jason Brown

6 comments (Add your own)

1. Greg Wallace Dolmage wrote:
I was in the fourth grade and the summer was almost upon us. I was ready to be done with school and ready to get to some basketball camps and 3-on-3 tournaments with my friends. I happened to be at church one night for a kids choir thing that I was a part of. I remember singing loud and getting really into the choreography while thinking, "I am making a total mockery of this stupid song and I love it." I was a bit of a ham and loved the attention. Thankfully, the choir director loved gregarious (pun) manner and my loud singing, so I was actually praised for my mocking.

Anyway, I was hanging out in a pew sitting with some friends when Chad Jennings walked across the room and taped me on the shoulder. Chad Jennings was the High School youth group leader of my church. I had never actually talked with this guy before. He hung out with my older brother and sister, but I was not part of his jurisdiction. Be that as it may, he started to talk to me about this church camp he worked for called Summer Games.

The idea of a church camp was nowhere on my radar, but he kept at me until I finally agreed to go. Well, that week of summer camp between the 4th and 5th grade was where I had an amazing experience with Jesus. I accepted him as my savior and began a journey that would eventually lead me to Paramount, CA working for ERC as the young adult intern.

Who knows where I would have ended up without Chad Jennings walking across the room. I sometimes like to think the NBA, but most likely it would be a life of little adventure, high safety, and intense selfishness. Good work Chad. You saved me from being another boring pagan.

Mon, March 9, 2009 @ 2:04 PM

2. Lorinda wrote:
As I am reading this book with ERC, it just makes me more convinced of my desire to be open and willing to look for those opportunities to walk across the room and make connections with people.. or in my case continue to participate in Alpha and get a front row seat in amazement at what God is doing in ordinary people, some brokenhearts in different levels and with leaders who are ordinary people who are also broken. The common thing we all share ~ we need Jesus, and without him we are a mess. We don't need theological answers, just willingness. Recognizing brokenness from lifes hurts and our lack of power to change any part of it without God's love, grace, just brings Gods power all over our lives in unimaginable ways.... actually unimaginable healing comes when we surrender the tight fisted control to figure it out on our own without Gods help. And than there are sometimes where people actually like the mess and stay there indefinitely, yet wondering why things never change for the better, "BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH for sharing". Could that be the seed that is planted for someone else to water along the way. Maybe that one handshake or hug, and kind word will speak volumes to someone at just the right time that Gods orchestrates for our paths to cross. But if we don't try, we will never know.. stepping outside your circle of comfort can be a great experience for us as well as those we come into contact with.

this statement was at the end of the movie "little man Tate". "until you are surrounded by people who are really different than you, you won't know what it means to belong".

Tue, March 10, 2009 @ 3:22 PM

3. Joanna wrote:
I was 16 years old. That summer I was invited to go to OAZA catholic youth summer camp. Monika was who invited me. She would take a train across our county to come and visit me on regular basis, and every time she would talk to me about God, Jesus and church. So since she took many months of traveling to see me, I decided I could go to see what that kind of camp would be about, and it was cheap so my parents could afford it, so I went.
The whole 15 days of bible studies, worship and community...talking about something totally out of my comfort zone.
After really fighting against all that was presented to me, Jesus got to me.
I remember the afternoon when I left the camp to cruse around the town, I got back late that night...Monika was waiting with Gaby worrying were I was (there was not cell phones at that time), that night like every train trip to my town, Monika walked across the room and told me all about Jesus love for me. The next day I had one of the best confessions in my life...few days latter Monika asked me if I would share my testimony with over 1000 of young people from different camps that were getting together to share about experiences of each camp. I said no....Monika gave me a bible, asked me to go into a church and ask God what he wants me to do...
so I did...I talked to 1000's of young people about Jesus love, without fully understanding it. After that morning...a lot of people would came a shake my hand, thanking me for the words I said.
...than I moved back to my town...and decided that has never happen...decided I did not walk across the stage to talk to people about Jesus...but I did...

Tue, March 10, 2009 @ 9:00 PM

4. Pat Adkins wrote:
In 1986 I was working at Northrop Electronics. I went to ERC as a youth, but never excepted Christ as Lord. I had a coworker named Darin that was a fellow mechanic at work. He always told me that he was praying for me and that God had plans for my life. One day I finally told Darin that if he were to say that again to me that he would get his teeth back in the mail! Later that year in the summer I was laid up in the hospital for 10 days. At 2am one morning I turned on the TV. (This was before cable TV) and the only thing on was TBN christian programming. A minister named R.W. Schambach was on and said, "Those of you that are on your back sick and discouraged!" (This got my attention.) "If you believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and pray with me God will change your life forever!" What did I have to lose? I prayed not only with him, but when I turned off the TV I said to God, "If you're really there? Please help me." I've never looked back since that day.
When I returned to work from a 3 month sick leave I seen Darin. I then took my walk across the room. I hugged Darin and wept on his shoulder for what seemed like 5 minutes not able to speak. After I settled down a bit Darin stepped back with tears now in his eyes smiled and said, "You've met Jeus!" He began to teach me God's word and how to pray. Darin took many walks across a room to tell me of Christ's love for me. As I see my family, coworkers, neighbors and friends I'm encouraged to take extra walks to share the gift of God's grace and love in his son Jesus.

Sat, March 14, 2009 @ 7:39 AM

5. Andrew Schmidt wrote:
Two of the pivotal moments of my faith journey came from interactions with Jason Brown. He was a senior and I was a freshman in college. We rarely talked or were together in that one year of college we shared. Yet, if I were to give a very brief testimony of my conversion to make Jesus my Lord two conversations with Jason would be included.
On a weekend I felt I had hit rock bottom I called Jason's housemate, Scott, on a Sunday morning. Jason answered and informed me Scott wasn't there. He then invited me to go to church with him. And I accepted the invitation knowing that's where I needed to go, but not wanting to go by myself.
A few months later Jason and I talked for about fifteen minutes. Jason asked several questions about my life and I started to get a little uncomfortable. So I asked him a question back. He casually gave an honest answer. His answer haunted me all summer. His answer showed me that I professed to be a Christian but didn't care at all about sin. I now met someone who did take sin seriously and yet was fun and didn't seem at all condemning. I became totally restless until I surrendered my life fully to Jesus the following spring.
Nearly 15 years later I am a pastor at the church Jason invited me to attend with him that Sunday morning (which happens to have a Korver as its senior pastor as well). I think what I saw in Jason is someone who was "True-faced". And I love that he is continuing to grow more and more in that direction.

Tue, March 17, 2009 @ 9:55 AM

6. Brad Rempe wrote:
Hey brother,

Love the post...I remember that night as well. There are so many times I've thanked our Father for Tim and his willingness to follow...what an example he was and is.

One personal addition I would make to this experience is the impact and importance of experiencing this together with my bro's. Tim's act alone was certainly divine, but having the years since to walk with you guys together has been possibly the most significant gift in my lifetime!

Thu, April 2, 2009 @ 10:26 AM

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