I felt it was more appropriate here.
I was saved at the age of 13 at a church youth camp. I vividly remember walking up to that little alter in that camp church and accepting my Lord and Savior. I was 14 by the time I was baptized at the UMC in FWB. I stayed in the church until I left for college 5 years later.
I am basically very shy so that was my great excuse for not finding a home church after I moved. Then I started nursing school, and all those science class..... Then I married my high school sweetheart who happened to be an atheist. I really didn't get that separation of the yolk thing back then! So, as time pasted with these factors in place I drifted away from the church. I never drifted away from my basic beliefs, but I certainly did not walk it or talk it!
Had two kids and 14 years of marriage and it was time for a divorce. This was very hard for me. I married in my home church for all the right reason and for life, but, I divorced for all the right reasons also. For the next 8 years it was me and my kids. But, as we know God is always at work in our lives even if we have not even asked Him to if we have once accepted Him as our Savior.
In the job I had I had to travel, so my kids would stay will a friend of mine who actually worked for me for about 8 years. Unbeknown to me, she would occasionally leave my kids with her brother. When I finally found out it was because he and his family were taking my kids to church with them. My kids did not have a strong father figure so this could be ok, a strong Christian man in my kids life.
Well.... come to find out the wife was not walking the walk and they separated. After the divorce papers were filed the sister ( which remember I had known for many years) suggested her brother give me a call. He did. We stated dating. They come from an old Strong Christian family. Old fundamental Baptist, worked the farm all their lives, you get the picture. So Randy and I are having a conversation one night, he says things like I can't see the wind but I know it's there, etc. Finally he says, give God 50% chance and give science 50% chance and see what happens. Being an open minded person and having our Savior somewhere down in there anyway... And God had always place strong Christian women in my life for me to turn to. So, one day I drove to the beach ( where else would I go ;-) God and I spent some time together and I knew I had to make a major move to bring him back into my life.
My son who was 15 had walked to the alter with Randy standing at the alter as a Deacon before I had even started going back to church. My son was saved without me being there. We were attending a Baptist church which baptized differently than the Methodist church does, I decided to be re- baptized with my son. So on Feb. 6, 2000 I rededicated my life to Jesus, and on March 8, 2000 I was submerged baptized with my son. The only thing better than that was watching my daughter be baptized on May 2, 2001 at the age of 18.
This time it was different, I truly surrendered. What a difference. There are so many stories of how God has worked in my life since then.
By the way, Randy and I stopped dating but remained friends. You see I knew how much I loved him, he just had not figured it out yet, and he was just divorced. But, 5 years latter we started spending time together as friends, staring at my new born granddaughter, and in 2006 we were married. ;-) So, now I am married to a strong Christian man, we still have some big problems at times, the difference is we have God on our side this time.
I read a story you wrote about witnessing to a Jewish person. The very first test God put in front of me after my rededication was to witness to a Jewish man. I had known and worked with this man for 10+ years, he a physician , me a nurse. He was dying of liver cancer, I was taking care of him at home.....so of course I am pleading with God " isn't there somebody else I can do my 1st witness to?" and of course His answer was a resounding "NO". So, I got some materials together, made my nursing visit, and as I sat on the edge of this man's bed I witnessed to him. He could actually See the difference in me, so he was very interested in what I had to say. He wanted the written material I had brought and we left it that he would think about it. I know that some people plant the seed, some water it, and some help it bloom. I don't know what my part was in his life, he died shortly after that, someday I will know what he decided. But, for me, the biggest part was following through on God's request for me to do something that was VERY uncomfortable for me, and the filling of the Holy Spirit for doing so. It still brings tears to my eyes.
Two years ago I had to leave my work and go on disability due to continuous migraines. I tell people I thought I had walked in faith before, but when God truly humbles one, takes everything away that you are used to having, then I really learned to walk in faith. There are so many times now I wonder how the next bill is going to get paid, but I don't fret over it like I used to, I do what I can and I KNOW God will provide a way in His time. It will be just enough, and in His time. The A/C went out in my 2001 truck, in the summer, augh, just at the time my disability checks were changing. There just was not an extra $500.00 to fix the A/C, then of course, something comes in the mail, an opportunity for me to cash out a few small shares I have in something, and there it is, A/C money.
I have not made a mortgage payment since I went on disability in May 2009. My home went into foreclosure, I hired an attorney only because there were some property line issues. When it came time to go to court, the bank had fired their attorney so no opposing attorney came to court and the case was dropped. Capt. Ben, I have been living in my home for 2 years without making a payment! Now, I don't believe I will grow old here, God is just giving me time for something else to work out. Mind you I have lived in this house for 21 years so it's not like I haven't been paying someone for this house ;-).
There's an incredible story behind my granddaughter. She has been blessed from the moment she was conceived. My daughter is not married, I have some property so decided to clear some land and make a place for them to live. Someone cleared the land for free, someone gave us a trailer for her to live in, people donated time, labor, equipment to finish clearing the land, do the electric, do the plumbing (Randy) on and on. It still cost me a great deal, but without all these gifts we never would have had their home ready by the time Kenlee was born. I worked at a Christain community at the time and one of the pastors even used Kenlee as the basis of one of his sermons that life throws us curve balls, but with God we can be ready to catch them.
I know this is so much more than what you wanted, but when it comes to singing God's praises I can get carried away sometimes.
God has been so good to me. I have given up on being amazed at His greatness, I am only human, of course I can not grasp His greatness. So I just sit in awe, am thankful for His Grace, ask to be filled with His Holy Spirit everyday, and pray that my walk will be a witness to someone whether I know about it or not.
I so want to be at your book signing to meet you and celebrate with you, but unless God has another surprise for me I just don't think Randy and I are going to make it, so please know we are there with you in spirit in every way!
Again, I apologize for the length of this but I am just not good at the Reader's Digest version of things. ;-)
Thank you for your time, and your prayers. I will keep you and yours in my prayers and God Bless you and yours.
