It was about 8:30 AM on the 7th of August 1977. Our friend Jack was standing in our office and talking about The Lord. I could see that Pat was interested about the conversation. After it went on for a while she made this statement. "I'm scared to die!" What should I do? Who can help?
I knew The Lord as a child, didn't live that way, but when push came to shove, I always defended The Lord. When I first met Pat (blog How I met their mother), I was afraid to share The Lord, because Satan had given me the spirit of fear, he told me that I would lose her if I got religious, so I didn't talk about Jesus directly. I remember going past the old radio station south of town, and I was talking about the Bible, and she said "You sure know about the Bible". That was some time before the happenings of Aug. 7th. I decided to go to the back office and pray, " Lord what can I do?" I decided to call Jack's Pastor and invited him to our house. Pastor Slater arrived that evening and shared the gospel, and Pat responded.
I knew The Lord as a child, didn't live that way, but when push came to shove, I always defended The Lord. When I first met Pat (blog How I met their mother), I was afraid to share The Lord, because Satan had given me the spirit of fear, he told me that I would lose her if I got religious, so I didn't talk about Jesus directly. I remember going past the old radio station south of town, and I was talking about the Bible, and she said "You sure know about the Bible". That was some time before the happenings of Aug. 7th. I decided to go to the back office and pray, " Lord what can I do?" I decided to call Jack's Pastor and invited him to our house. Pastor Slater arrived that evening and shared the gospel, and Pat responded.
I want to make a statement about my wife: Pat is the most Godly women that I know. She is a prayer warrior, a student of the Word, full of mercy, and tenacious about Jesus. After that day I had a different, and better wife, she was a new creation in Christ Jesus. I'll ask her to tell her side of the story.
As I have said before on this blog, I attended Catholic school through 8th grade. Looking back, I can see how valuable it was to my life--and I can see how even back then I wanted to be close to God. However, I never seemed able to achieve that. Then came some wild years, when I figured that the "rules" by which I was raised no longer applied to me! By 1977, I had been married, divorced, and remarried. I did not want to live the way I had been living. This friend of ours that Del referred to, Jack, had been quite a wild guy, in a whole family of wild boys. To hear him talking about God, as though he "knew" him did interest me. I had friends in high school who were quite devout, and I respected that about them. I wanted to know peace and freedom from fear. I wanted a fresh start.
One day we were riding in the car, with our newborn baby girl in the front seat between us. (Back in the old days, we could do that!) I don't know what we were talking about, but I remember Del saying, "She (our baby) is one of God's most favorite people." Wow! That struck a nerve in me because that meant that God was interested in us! This eventually led to the visit from Chuck Slater, where I asked Jesus into my heart--which did indeed change my life for the better.
I want you to know that I am certainly not the most Godly woman in the world. I have sins in my life that I struggle with. But I know when I prayed that prayer back in 1977, Jesus saved me, and forgave my sin. And he sent the Holy Spirit to me, who makes me aware of my sin. Nowadays, I like to keep a short account with The Lord--that is, asking forgiveness and praying for his help in dealing with sin and temptation. He doesn't expect or want us to do it alone! Thank God for that!
Well, that is my salvation story--not very exciting compared to others I have heard, but as I said, it was and IS life changing!
As I have said before on this blog, I attended Catholic school through 8th grade. Looking back, I can see how valuable it was to my life--and I can see how even back then I wanted to be close to God. However, I never seemed able to achieve that. Then came some wild years, when I figured that the "rules" by which I was raised no longer applied to me! By 1977, I had been married, divorced, and remarried. I did not want to live the way I had been living. This friend of ours that Del referred to, Jack, had been quite a wild guy, in a whole family of wild boys. To hear him talking about God, as though he "knew" him did interest me. I had friends in high school who were quite devout, and I respected that about them. I wanted to know peace and freedom from fear. I wanted a fresh start.
One day we were riding in the car, with our newborn baby girl in the front seat between us. (Back in the old days, we could do that!) I don't know what we were talking about, but I remember Del saying, "She (our baby) is one of God's most favorite people." Wow! That struck a nerve in me because that meant that God was interested in us! This eventually led to the visit from Chuck Slater, where I asked Jesus into my heart--which did indeed change my life for the better.
I want you to know that I am certainly not the most Godly woman in the world. I have sins in my life that I struggle with. But I know when I prayed that prayer back in 1977, Jesus saved me, and forgave my sin. And he sent the Holy Spirit to me, who makes me aware of my sin. Nowadays, I like to keep a short account with The Lord--that is, asking forgiveness and praying for his help in dealing with sin and temptation. He doesn't expect or want us to do it alone! Thank God for that!
Well, that is my salvation story--not very exciting compared to others I have heard, but as I said, it was and IS life changing!
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