Eric.  The very name brings a smile.  Because he is always smiling, always cheerful, always looking on the bright side.  He's our favorite taxi driver and a strong believer.  Today we spent the entire day together.  Guy is on vacation so Eric went into every store with me. He's very protective, quick to open doors and carry packages.

We got to talking about his relationship with our Lord and he told me an interesting story about his life.  His father, a Catholic, married his mother, a Muslim.  They had three children.  Eric is sandwiched between two sisters.  The marriage was not a good one.  Eventually the mother left the home and took up with another man.  She had a son with him who turned out to be a very violent and bad person.  But back when Eric was growing up, because the mother was a non-practicing Muslim and the father was a devout Catholic, it was the father who took charge of the children's religious upbringing.  Mom never joined them at church.  She had no use for God or for Allah.  

Eric said he always had an interest in God, even when he was little.  He was searching for more, confident there was more to God.  So when he was an adolescent and someone invited him to their church, he was eager to attend.  It was there he heard the gospel for the first time.  It tugged at his heart.  He knew this was what he had been looking for all these years.  Eventually he gave his life to the Lord and everything changed for him.  Then his older sister found the Lord and is a strong and vibrant child of God to this day.  She has been a great encouragement for him.  The younger sister has no serious interest in God.  At one point Eric felt convicted about his half-brother so invited him to move in with him.  But it didn't work out.  The brother's life was just too different.  Nevertheless Eric had several opportunities to share the Lord with his brother.  He feels good about that.  At least this young man knows the way, if he ever decides to come to Christ.

Eric eventually met his wife in church and they were married.  His father died and three years later his mother also died.  Eric and his wife have never been able to have children.  It has been seven years.  But he has a wonderful attitude.  Eric says that God knows why and it is just to keep on following Him.

Every time we see Eric he always says this is a wonderful day because it is the day the Lord has made.  Or he might respond to the "How are you?" question with "Fantastic!  God is in control.  I have no complaints."  He is an encourager and a dear brother in the Lord.