Christian Living
My Journey to Faith in Christ
The year is 1956, I’m 9 year old, attending church and learning about Jesus has not been part of my life. I’m assigned a scriptural passage to memorize as a school assignment. My assignment is John 3:16. “For God so the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
What a promise! And for what in return, JUST believe in God!!
My mother, brother and I start attending a local church, I feel awkward, others know scripture, the books of the bible and who characters are in Bible stories. I quit going! I’m confronted with these experiences more than once, but yet I never take the imitative to learn more.
Deuteronomy 31:12-13
Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and they (sojourner) who is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law; and that their children, who have not known anything, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as ye live in the land to which ye go over the Jordan to possess it.
Jump ahead to 1978, I’ve broken the law, gotten myself into a mess, go searching for a church and don’t find a door open. I have a step-sister who is Catholic, I consider that. I pay the price for breaking the law, lose everything I own, go from job to job, consider public assistance, to proud to lower myself to that level. I gradual climb back to a position of stature.
Romans 3:23-24, 5:8
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. But God commendeth his love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
It’s now 1981, I’m working in Montgomery, Ala, my boss is Christian, and invites me to church. I’m a single parent with a 5 year old, just barely making ends meet. As the fall approaches and I have to decide where to enroll my son for school, I learn the church has a school, K thru 12. So, I agree to go with my boss and friend to church to meet the school officials.
The following Tuesday night, the preacher visits and I surrender to the Lord. I join the church, get baptized; I attend that church the remainder of the time I’m in Montgomery. 1983 I get transferred to another town, another state. The first Sunday in the new town, Tallahassee, Fl, I join Temple Baptist Church and am a member there till 1994. I’m very active while at Temple Baptist and involved in several programs within the church. I grow into a role of ministering to others, leader in children programs, choir, looked up to and ask to perform various tasks in the church.
Romans 10:9-12
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shat be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
The weekend before Thanksgiving, 1985; I’m severely injured in a freak accident while helping my brother remove a downed tree limb in his front yard. (I’ve been employed by a tree service, whose owner was a member of Temple Baptist and had given me a job supervising his Tree Service crew; knowledge is dangerous when used improperly.) I’m unconscious, transported to the hospital by helicopter, admitted to Neuro ICU, where I spend 16 days unconscious and on life support. After 19 days I’m discharged and return to work. On good days I was able to work half a day. Unable to perform my duties, I resign. I go through 7 months of rehab and unemployment, very difficult time in my life.
John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and judgment is just, because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who hath sent me.
GOD intervened the night I was admitted. HE made the choice to bring me home or leave me here on earth. He chose to leave me here and I have purposed my life in following his lead.
Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Fast forward to 1986, I’ve gone through a divorce, ask by a pastor to find another church and begin to bounce from church to church, eventually dropping out of church attendance.
I come full circle and join a singles ministry of a Church. I serve in that church for several years. Was ordained a Deacon, researched, developed and implemented a food program and ran that program until I became disabled in 2002. Additionally, I became the Distribution supervisor for the area I served.
Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you; for everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
2001, I’ve been single for 6 years; the Lord brings a lady into my life. This lady, my current wife, will be with me through the dark days that are to follow. I get treated for an inner ear infection that is not what the Doctor thinks. My balance system is affected and I gradually am unable to work. Dorothy, my wife, spends the next year transporting me, to sick to drive on my own, from city to city looking for a Doctor who can diagnosis my problem. After several months it becomes apparent that I will be unable to return to work, we turn our focus to finding two Doctors who will agree on my diagnosis so that I can take a medical retirement. We are unsuccessful in getting a diagnosis and getting two Doctors to agree on my condition.
2002, A year later, no diagnosis, no support from two Doctors on my condition, I’ve run out of benefit time, used hours donated by others and have to make a decision. I’m forced into “early retirement.” I only have 17 years; therefore I will lose 25% of my retirement benefit. We can’t survive, financially, on my reduced benefit. I get a Disability attorney and apply for SSD (Social Security Disability) and am approved on the first go round. Most unusual!
2009, I’ve been disabled 7 years; Dorothy has reached her 20 years and decides to retire. We begin to explore where we can retire to, to get a better quality of life for me. Florida has 66 inches of rain per year; rain is one of my “triggers” for my disability. Also, we live only 10 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and I feel the weather fronts in the Gulf. Through online research I’ve determined where we can move to and get away from the hurricanes and so much rain. We begin to travel and visit retirement communities in these areas.
December 2009, we leave Florida and move to Texas. We find that the communities that we thought would meet our needs; really don’t. It costs way more than we can comfortable afford, the services are not what we expect and so we spend the next year moving from place to place.
2011, we’ve been where we are for a year now. Our lease is up and we are moving, again, to save money.
In conclusion, my journey has been long, often stormy, but never not the path that the Lord would have had me to follow. If I only was to seek, find and follow the path intended for my life. ARE you, where God wants you? Doing what God has willed for you. If not, I encourage you to get on your knees and ask the Lord to give you direction.
God bless you in your travels through life.
Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you; for everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and judgment is just, because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who hath sent me.
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