"Why Was I Born?" Kathryn Kuhlman

It was the day that the Iroquois Theater burned to the ground in Chicago. Late one Saturday afternoon during a matinee. It was the morning of that Saturday when Dr. Gonzalez, the pastor of a very fine church in Chicago, was in his study and he was preparing his sermon for Sunday morning. He had just written out his text. And the text that he used was from the 18th chapter of John, the 37th verse. End was I born, and for this cause came I into the world. He'd only gotten that far with the writing out of his text when his young nephew entered into his uncle's study and read over his shoulder these words that I've just read from the word of God. And before his uncle could continue the rest of the text, he was conscious of the fact that tears were falling over his shoulder and onto the paper where he was writing. He looked up, and his young 16 -year -old nephew was crying. Well, he said, What's the matter? And the young nephew with quivering lips said, uncle that's what i wondered over and over again why was i born why uncle why came i into this world i was left an orphan when i was just a little baby because of the death of My father and mother, and it seems that all of my life I've had to depend on somebody to keep me, to support me. You've been wonderful to me. Uncle, you've been so wonderful. You've been both a dad and a mother to me, but I feel that I'm just a care to you, and I don't know... why I was ever born. And with that, he turned very quickly and rushed out of the study of Dr. Gonzalez, his uncle. Walking down the street, several hours later, the same young lad. was one of the first to see the Iroquois Theater on fire. He arrived on the scene almost before the fire trucks and the engines came, and he rushed into that blazing theater, and he began carrying the children out. Those of you who know the story, that tragedy, that terrific tragedy, When the entire theater burned to the ground and scores of children were burned to death, many of them hurt, overcome with smoke, and began carrying children out. One, two, three. And each time as he'd go back into the burning building, Members of the fire department would beg with him and plead him, don't go back, you can't. He came out with 16, he came out with 17 children. And then they pled with him, don't you don't dare, the walls are crumbling again. The roof can fall in any minute, and he tore from their grip and went in again. And when he came out with the 19th... Child, he was completely overcome with smoke. Burned badly. He was rushed to the hospital. Dying. Nobody knew just who he was or where he came from. Finally, a nurse, who was a member of Dr. Gonzales' church, said, I know him. His uncle is my pastor. His uncle is Dr. Gonzalez. I'll call him. And they called Dr. Gonzalez, and he came in as his young nephew was dying. When he saw his uncle, he looked up. The last word that he spoke were these. Uncle, I know now. why I was born. I know why now. That I might rescue 19 children. And with that, You'll never know how seriously I've taken life. And the fact that I'm a part of humanity, you'll never know. I don't know why I was born. I don't know why I came into the world. I don't believe things just happen. I just don't. Believe it. But I am faced with the fact that I was born. I'm a part of humanity. I have but one life to live. That's all. And I've considered this thing very seriously. More seriously than anybody in the whole world will ever, ever know. You'll never know how... Seriously, I have taken the fact that I am a part of humanity, that I'm passing through this life but once, and I have but one life to live. I can do with my life what I will. When I came into the world, I was born with a will separate and apart from the will of God, separate and apart from the will of... any human being. It's my life to do with what I please. I can even destroy my body. I can even destroy my life. I have a choice regarding the one who will master my life. I can either choose Jesus as the master of my life, or I can choose Satan. I can either live a life in righteousness or I can live it in sin. I must make the choice. No one can make it for me. It's my life to do with what I will. I can go against all of the laws of God. No one will keep me from it. I can live that life in sin. I can live it selfishly. I can break all of God's laws. I can absolutely go against all codes of ethics. Morality can mean nothing to me. No one will force me to be moral. No one will force me to keep the laws of God. Yet, I realize that I am a human being. The master of my own soul. The master of my life. I must make the choice. No one can make it for me. As a human being, I have an influence. Not only my life, but I have an influence. Every human being has an influence. I don't care who you are. You may not know it. But you have an influence over somebody. I can go there. Hell. But I'll not go alone. Because of my influence, I will take someone else with me. Or I can choose the life of righteousness. And in choosing that life of righteousness, I will go to heaven. But because of my influence, I will take somebody else with me. You do not live alone. No man, no woman ever lives entirely alone. I made the choice. I remember the day when I made that choice. I knew it would cost me something. But I sat down and figured the cost. It would cost much, but I decided it was worth the cost. Beloved, if when life is all over with, I can stand in his wonderful and present to him one soul that I have won to the Lord Jesus Christ, I figure my life will have been a success. For the bringing of a soul to Jesus is the highest possible achievement to a human being. Someone ask Lyman Beecher, probably the greatest of all of the Beechers. This one question, they said, Mr. Beecher, you know a great many things. What do you count the greatest thing that a human being can be or do? And without any hesitation, this famous preacher replied, the greatest thing is not that one should be a scientist, important as that is, not that one should be a statesman. Vastly important as that is. Not even that one should be a theologian. Important as that is. But the greatest thing of all, he said, is for one human being to bring another to Jesus Christ the Savior. One of these days is going to be over with. I'm not kidding myself. And I ask you not to kid yourself. All members of the human race have two things in common. Each of us was born. And each of us must die. And most of us are not too concerned with the circumstance of our birth. We don't remember it. It lies far behind us. too concerned about our birth or the circumstances, where and how and the rest of it. But the thought of dying is another matter. And yet each of us will die. We must die. And the strangest thing about human nature is the fact that there are few who will face that fact. But remember something. As surely as the past year has gone into history, it brings us just one year nearer the time when you are going to face death, when the old heart is going to take its last beat. Knowing that another year has passed into history, I know. that I am just that much nearer to the day when I'm going to preach my last sermon and win my last soul to the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that. Every time the clock strikes the midnight hour, every time I see the end of the day, I know that that day has passed. With all those wonderful opportunities, I cannot bring that day back again. Neither can I bring those opportunities back again. It's impossible. It's impossible. Oh, time is such an important element. Time is so important. When I see people who are misusing time, when I see people who are doing nothing with their time, When I see the hours and hours that are wasted by people when time is the most important thing in the world. Each day with its wonderful possibilities. And when that day has passed into history, you and I cannot bring that day back again. I'd give anything in the world if I could turn back all the pages of history and begin again. Begin again as a 14 -year -old girl. Begin again as a 16 -year -old girl. Oh, if our teenager could realize what their youth means to them. If somehow right now I could say something, if I could do something, I'd gladly get down on my knees and beg and implore them. And say, young people, your youth is so important to you. After it's gone, you can't bring it back again. You can't. These wasted days. These wasted years. When they're gone, they're gone. You can't. All the money in the world. All the influence in the world. All the... tears that have ever been shed cannot bring back again those precious years of one's youth when they're gone they're gone many a man whose hair is turned to silver many a man with his brow wrinkled and his hands showing the marks of hard work, who is nearing the sunset hour. Even what I'm talking would give anything in the world. He'd give every copper cent that he owned and give it gladly if he could turn all the pages of his life. and begin this very hour and live it all over again. How differently he would live his life. Many a dad would give anything in the world. Many a mother right now sitting there with regrets, heartbreaks. Harsh words that have been spoken. A life that hasn't been the kind of a life that should have been lived as an example to the children. Oh, sure, there's a broken home there. A broken home. Dad, you'd give anything in the world if you could turn all those pages back again. Start out as a young bridegroom. When you took those wedding vows and you broke every vow that you ever made. And the little children came into your home and you felt their tender arms around your neck, oh sure. But those were the years when you fought against God. You fought against... Everything that you knew was right. And you took your life in your own hands and you said, I'll live it as I please. And the master of my life, I'll do with it what I please. And then when you did what you wanted to do, you didn't like it. You wrecked a home. You wrecked the lives of your children. What do you have now? Your own life is wrecked. Your body is wrecked. And what do you have to show for it? Sorrow. Heartache. This moment, I repeat that portion of the word of God to you. This end was I born. And for this cause came I into the world. For what cause? Because you were born? Because you are a part of humanity? Is the world just a little better? Is there just a little more love in the world? Has somebody found that Christ is his Savior? Is some little boy, some little girl happier because of you? Is their wife someplace a little happier? Is there a husband? A better fellow because of you. If you have won just one soul to the Lord Jesus Christ and one person is better because of you. Then there was a good reason that you were born.