January 29, 1971...

 The promise of ice, sleet, rain and snow are in the forecast but depending on the temperatures, even by one or two degrees will determine what area gets snow and the rest a cornucopia of an outpouring of condensate. Right now our forecast is of the mixed variety. Several on FB have posted red sunrises which by the comments being made other than beautiful is; there's some bad weather a brewing. 

Last night I remembered what happened fifty years ago on January 29, 1971...I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. He has made all the difference in my life. I've shared the story before how my friend Beth invited me to a revival at her church. I said, sure, I'll go but I cancelled with the excuse of homework. Now, I find that kind of funny because that was in the period of my life when doing homework wasn't even a blip on the screen. When she hung up she prayed, Lord, get her there anyway you can. As I hung up the phone, it began ringing, I answered and it was the boy who I dated at that time. His friend had invited him to a revival at his church and Richard told him yes, we would attend on Friday night. I was not happy about this development, in fact I was downright mad. How fitting the preacher for the revival at Willow Meadows was James Robinson, who at that time was known as God's angry young man. My plan for Friday night, was to sit all disgusted like in the pew to show my miff-dom. As we drove to church I told Richard my plans concerning Friday night church would be for a wedding, not some revival. We arrived the pews were spacious, I could not slump my attitude. Then I recognized several acquaintances from my church. Oh great! That night, God touched my heart and I knew I was not saved and very much in need of a Savior. The invitation was extended to those who would like to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. My pride would not let me walk that aisle, those people from my church, what would they think? They had assumed I was already a believer and it seemed that reason would be the stoppable reason  until Richard looked at me and said, I don't know about you, but I am going down front and asking Jesus into my life. Me too! And we both walked down the aisle.

Afterwards, we went over to Westbury Square to have pizza. I had a joyous perplexity because I knew, this night forward would be a changer. A friend from high school came over to our table, Richard and I went to rival high schools, and he looked at me and said, do you want to tell her what happened tonight? Scared, nervous and unprepared, I told Karen, I had asked Jesus into my life. Her response is lost to me from that long ago night but what isn't lost to me is the gift that Richard gave me that night. It wasn't ever too difficult from that time forward to share my faith. Really, Richard gave me two gifts that night, the first in giving me the opportunity, stupid dumb pride tried to hinder me, to make the best decision ever. 

When I think about it even more these days, I see the path and map God had in deliverance not only from sin, but from the trap and future mapped out by my father for me. As the old Campus Crusade pamphlet said, God has a wonderful plan for your life, but my father had a devious and destructive plan for me. God used this what seemed insignificant beach trip in junior high school. That's where I met Richard and on the way home I sat on the school bus seat beside him. Ah, those school bus trips that don't bother you when you're young but now, I shudder at the thought of. You see, I went against everything that I was being told at the time by my father. Not to approach or talk to boys, not that it would do any good for me to do so because no one wants to talk to an ugly girl and that he, even my father had difficulty talking to me due to my repelling and awful face. Richard just seemed like a nice guy. He was a year ahead school wise and I really don't remember seeing him too much after that. The week before I was to begin high school, all of us, Mom, Dad, and Doug were painting bedrooms in our house. The phone rang, I answered and heard; this is a voice from the past. Do you remember me? Anyway, Richard asked me to a church dance and I said yes. My father had to be steaming mad at this development after all his gaslighting. I had no idea how to act on a date, so I feel like I was really stiff and too formal. Acting differently than who I was because I thought that is what one did. Richard told me later that after that date, he had no plans on asking me out again cause I wasn't very friendly or at ease. But, once again, I went against all that I had been told at home and asked him at the end of the dance if he would like to go on a picnic at The Hill in Herman Park in the near future. Again upon reflecting on this, I am glad I did that because you know my father would have turned on me with the, see I told you kind of stuff and thus taking away the little bitty tiny shred of confidence I had in this area of life. Richard and I dated on and off the next few years. 

Richard went onto college and seminary. He married, has a lovely family, now with grandchildren, and retired from being a pastor in the Methodist Church a few years ago. We are friends on FB and I saw him once when Peggy and I did a Mildred and Gertrude thing for a group at the  state Methodist conference in Galveston about nine years ago. 

Seeing how what seemed to be unrelated circumstances became the first baby steps in loving Jesus and following Him. At the time, it seemed like, just a date, a revival service, and pizza but truly, it was a whole lot more than that. Fifty years! Wow!  

God made such a change in me, even my parents were amazed that this sullen, depressed, apathetic girl had seemingly changed overnight. I began attending Willow Meadows Baptist Church and made some of the best friends and we are still friends to this day. I was taught the Bible by some of the best Sunday School teachers. God truly laid a foundation for me beginning on January 29, 1971. There were still tough times and issues at home but now I knew I was not alone. Life has not always been a breeze yet there were times that it was as if life was floating on a breeze. Reflecting on these past fifty years, walking with the Lord thanking Him for His goodness, His gift of salvation and His gift of friends, His gift of people in seasons of life that helped me, and for His fabulous gift of Roy, fills my heart with joy. 

I started out this post talking about snow, precipitation and the chances therein. Our area got snow, more than we anticipated here on dry ridge. The snowfall began slowly and then escalated into big flakes of falling snow. In just over an hour everything was covered, thus bringing on the quietness of snow.