Derek Seevers makes a stop on his way to Falls Creek for the Men's Retreat, where his life was changed forever. PHOTO PROVIDED

Seevers and some of his fellow riders stop for a photo outside the cabin they stayed in during the Men's Retreat. PHOTO PROVIDED

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• written by Dana Williamson »
• from Baptist Messenger of Oklahoma »

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What could be better than a motorcycle ride half way across the state, then to hear one of your favorite University of Oklahoma football players speak?

Derek Seevers didn't think it could get any better. But it did. Much better.

Seevers' uncle, Ron Shafer, a member of Cherokee, First, invited his nephew to the Men's Retreat at Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center last April. Among other things, the retreat featured a motorcycle caravan to the campsite and was highlighted by speaker Spencer Tillman, former All-America running back at OU.

Seevers' first question to Shafer was, "Where's Falls Creek?"

Not familiar with Baptist language or, for that matter, Christian terminology, Seevers grew up in Alva and was raised a Catholic.

"I attended church, but I never enjoyed it because I didn't understand what was going on," Seevers recalled. "Something wasn't there for me. However, I always thought if you lived a good life, you would go to Heaven."

Seevers, who currently lives in Buffalo and is under sheriff for Harper County, began his career in law enforcement shortly after graduation from Alva High School.

He also began his series of marriages. His first wife was a Methodist, and they went off and on to the Methodist Church. That union, which was plagued by financial problems, brought two children, Kellsie, now 12, and Jacob, 8.

The second marriage lasted just a year, and produced Joshua, now 4.

"She was Catholic, but didn't go to church," Seevers said. "We went to the Baptist church off and on, but I was at the point of knowing I needed to get hold of my life. Nothing was going right."

After that marriage, Seevers married Sabrina in July 2007. She had three children, Cody, 19, Caleb, 10, and Brianna, 6.

"She wasn't raised in church, and we didn't go at all," Seevers admitted.

But Seevers' life made a drastic turn beginning the morning of April 25 when he met his uncle and 10 other motorcycle riders and headed to Falls Creek.

The entourage stopped in El Reno, where they picked up Shafer's son, Brian, a local dentist, and some of his friends. Then they rode to Pauls Valley, where cyclists from the north part of the state gathered for the final leg to Falls Creek.

That evening, Seevers got to hear one of his heroes, Spencer Tillman, speak.

"Everything he said blew me away," Seevers said. "I'm thinking, that's my life. Something's got to change."

Seevers said after Tillman spoke, a band played, and between songs, the piano player said things like, "God wants to help those who have financial problems, those who have been divorced."

"Everything that was brought up fit right in my life," Seevers said. "Then the speaker had everyone bow their heads and close their eyes, and he was talking about people getting saved. I felt a tingling all over my body, and I prayed the prayer asking Jesus to save me.

"Then the speaker asked those who prayed the prayer to raise their hands, and those who raised their hands to walk forward. There is no way I was walking down that aisle in front of 3,000 men, but the next thing I knew I was half way down the aisle."

As Shafer nudged his son and pointed to Seevers walking the aisle, Brian fell to his knees recalling a conversation he had with his wife a few days before.

"I was standing in the kitchen with my wife, and I told her God was telling me to pray for Derek," remembered Brian. "She said, 'If God is telling you, we'd better pray for him.' I didn't know what to pray, but I asked God to give him what he needs."

Seevers said his uncle told him after he was saved, his life would be better, but Satan would attack him more than ever.

"He said when the man in the household gets saved, usually the rest of the house will fall in line behind him," Seevers said. "He told me to say a prayer before meals, or when I get in the car to go somewhere. He said my kids will respect me for that, and God will honor it."

When Seevers told his wife what happened at Falls Creek, he said she started crying and told him she would support him. They went to church together for the first time.

"They had special guests that Sunday, some jugglers who gave their testimony," Seevers said. "My wife called her 10-year-old son and invited him to come to church that night. After church, he called her and told her he did something-he got saved. I hadn't had a chance to tell him about my experience, and already the Lord was working in my family."

A few days later, Seevers was reading the book 23 Minutes in Hell, when his 19-year-old mentally challenged stepson, Cody, came to him and said he didn't want to go to Hell.

"I heard Caleb say something about a prayer you can pray to keep you from going to Hell," Cody told Seevers. "Can you say that prayer with me?"

"Cody understands right from wrong, and there has been a definite change in him," said Seevers. "He used to listen to hard rock music, but doesn't do that anymore."

Seevers said the day after he was saved, he bought a Bible, and now he meets with his pastor at Buffalo, First every Wednesday to do a Bible study.

"The men's retreat was the best thing that ever happened to me," said Seevers. "I can see God working in my whole house."

Seevers said he still has his day-to-day struggles, only now he doesn't have them alone.

"I simply talk to God and ask him to help me through this," said Seevers. "And you know what? He does. There is no better feeling than having God in your life.

"It's amazing God used a motorcycle to draw me to Him. Thank you Jesus."

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