The Nightclub Owner

James approached me as soon as church was over.

“John, I’d love you to meet a friend of mine and invite him to the evangelistic meetings starting Friday.” The name sounded familiar, but at that moment, I couldn’t place it. “This is Sam McKenzie,” James said. When I shook Sam’s hand, the penny finally dropped. Sam had been a successful nightclub owner.

As a teenager, I used to visit his nightclubs with friends. Sam drove an expensive European car, and whenever he arrived at the club, a buzz would ripple through the crowd. He would ascend the staircase to his private booth with glamorous-looking women at his side. But life had taken a turn for Sam.

He told me that at the height of his business success, he went twenty years without being sober a single day but had since lost everything except for his children and his friendship with James. James shared hope with Sam, who had begun attending church and was considering attending the evangelistic meetings I would be holding. When I saw him opening night, it was apparent that God was working in Sam’s life and I prayed that Sam would surrender his life to Jesus.

During the meetings, Sam made decision after decision. When the series was over, I was privileged to baptize the man whose nightclubs I had frequented before either of us were Christians. I baptized Sam about a quarter of a mile from the nightclub he used to own. He came out of the water with his arms raised in victory.

Several years later, I met Sam again, and it was clear he was different. He seemed nervous and barely spoke. I learned he was suffering from dementia and now lived in a group home for his own safety. James was the only person Sam recognized, and church was his only outing. Sam died shortly after.

But we knew that Sam —the nightclub owner who was drunk for twenty years— had died a new man. A changed man. A saved man.

Sam found hope in Jesus and had accepted Him as his Lord and Savior. I’m looking forward to seeing Sam again.

Soon.