I was born in 1948- the oldest of 11 children. My parents made sure that we went to church every time the doors were open. We also attended revivals that came to any church that we had belonged to. Some of these revivals lasted as long as 6 weeks.
I went to the altar with a bunch of other young people when I was about 11 or 12 years old- I don’t even really remember- and prayed to become a Christian. (As I look back, I realize that I don’t even know what I prayed for; and there was surely no change in my life, so I was probably never actually saved at all.) I didn’t read the Bible, or even have a desire to be in church. At times I would sneak out the door during the service, hang out with my friends, then go back in before the service ended. My dad was the piano player, and mom was so busy keeping an eye on my siblings, that I was never missed.
I was a rebellious teenager. My life style definitely didn’t reflect that of someone who claimed to be a genuine, born-again Christian; although I still attended church regularly, and believed that I was saved. Our family moved around a lot- so I never really had the opportunity to make friends and ‘fit in’ in school. I would skip school to travel to surrounding states with a blind friend of mine who played the accordion on the streets in order to earn money. I finally dropped out of high school and got 2 part-time jobs just to have some spending money.
At age 19, I got my first full-time job, and worked for 2 years to save enough money to buy a 1955 Chevy. One of my brothers, who was a mechanic, modified the engine and turned it into a street racing car. I then used it to race against anyone who was interested in trying to beat me. On three different occasions, I outran the police. (Looking back, I realize that God surely had His hands on me. It’s a wonder that I wasn’t killed, or didn’t kill someone else, driving the way that I did!) I drove like this for about 2 years, then one day when I was almost hit by an 18 wheeler after I ran a stop sign, I realized that I had to stop driving so erratically.
During all of the years that I lived this lifestyle, I continued to believe that I was a born-again Christian; and no one told me otherwise.
I got married at 21-years old and we had 5 children during the first 11 years of our almost 13 year marriage. I went to church sporadically during this period, always taking my family with me. But my wife and I had a lot of problems and we eventually ended up divorced.
Then in June of 1982, I actually DID get saved; and got baptized 3 weeks later.
I was at church on a Sunday night when I felt the Lord prompting me to go to the altar and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I had been under conviction for many months and had been miserable! Conviction doesn’t feel good. When God is calling you to repent of your sins and follow Him, He will do whatever needs to be done to get your attention!
After I was GENUINELY born-again, my life changed! I now enjoyed going to church and had a desire to read my Bible. People would often ask me to go to the local hospital and nursing home to pray for those who were sick and in need.
I moved in with, and took care of, an elderly gentleman (and his disabled son) in 1994. The man, who was 91- years old, was blind and had cancer. I talked to him about salvation and he would ask me to read the Bible to him daily. (He had also been in church for most of his life. In fact- he had been a deacon in his church for many years, and, like me, thought that he was a Christian, but was not!)
I had lived with him for about a year and a half when he finally repented of his sins and accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior- only 19 days before he died!
I had also talked to his son about salvation years earlier, and had prayed with him to repent of his sins and become a born-again Christian.
TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!!!!
In 1999, I moved to North Carolina to take care of a retired missionary, Eleanor, who lived alone and had suffered a minor stroke. She had no children or family to help her out, so I stayed with her until she had a major stroke 2½ years later, and had to go to a nursing home to live.
While I was visiting her in the hospital in June of 2002, my present wife, Gail (who would go to Eleanor’s room at the nursing home and read her the Bible) also came to visit her at the hospital.
That is where Gail and I met, and we have been in ministry together since July of that year.
Eleanor died in July of 2003; and Gail and I got married 2 months later.
I often tell my wife, “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me… other than salvation!”