Where do I begin??????

 

I left home at the age of 19 and joined the Air Force. I rebelled for a few years and decided "I'm grown now, so I don't have to go to church if I don't want to." After all, my Grandparents saw to it that I went to church EVERY Sunday. I never really gotten anything out of church, but I went religiously for as long as I could remember, up until I graduated and left home.

 

Even though I was raised in a Baptist church, I had my FIRST experience with God at the age of 21. I joined a Pentecostal church and really developed a relationship with God. I saw God move liked never before. People shouting, being slain in the spirit, speaking in tongues, being healed, the Pastor prophesying, people being touched - just to name a few. All of that was new to me, since none of this happened in the churches I grew up in. Once I got pass the initial shock, I fell right in line and experience God for the first time in my life. The pastor had a relationship with God that was just amazing!! Like I said, I've never experienced anything like that before. I've gotten more out of a few services (at the Pentecostal) than ALL of years growing up in churches as a child (teenager).  

 

After attending two services in the Pentecostal church, I got saved at the age of 21. As it says in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." I thank God for my Grandparents instilling church in me, because deep down inside of me, I knew I needed to be in church.   

 

Even though God was moving in my life, I backslid after serving him for about nine years. After first husband and I divorced, (I really beat myself up over that) I had a lot of guilt and pain. I just felt as though I failed at my marriage. I started going to clubs, drinking, smoking marijuana, etc - you  name it. I was looking for peace in the wrong places, things and people. I was in between jobs, living in a place I really didn't want to be in. I really was in a state of depression. There was a time, I really didn't want to live. In the midst of all of that, I knew I should not have turned by back on God. Even while at the clubs, something was saying to me, "why are you here? You KNOW you don't even fit in here." 

 

I was not a social drinker; my purpose for drinking was to get drunk. I figured if I was drunk, then I wouldn't have to think about how messed up my life was. In the midst of my wrongdoings (sin), the messages and scriptures were fresh in my mind. Deep down inside, I knew I needed to find my way back to God. I continued to live in sin for about four years. So, after four years of being stupid, I rededicated my life back to God in 2004.  From the moment I made that decision, I saw changes. I am so grateful to God for his patience, love, grace and mercy. God could have taken me out when I was being crazy. I say crazy because when you hear the truth, know what's right, know the word and know you will be punished for being disobedient AND still decide to make that wrong turn, that's nothing but crazy. I did not have to go down the road I chose, but I did, and those were the darkest years of my life; I paid the price for it. 

 

I just can't thank God enough for keeping me and allowing me the chance to get it right. He didn't have to do it, but he saved me yet again. God continue to keep me safe and healthy in the midst of my mess. I went through some things, but through it all he kept me.

 

I look at it like Parents: they continue to love us even when we disappointment them and gives us numerous chances to get it right. They never give up on us. There's a song entitled "God of a Second Chance." I beg to differ - God gives more than second chances; He does not keep count. God just picks us up, dust us off and points us in the right direction. 

 

Being saved and living with an unsaved mate is challenging, especially when it comes to giving to God and tithing. There were times we didn't know how we would make ends meet. A little over a year ago, my husband lost his job; my income wasn't enough to keep things going in the house. In the midst of all of that I continue to put God first. It put a strain on my marriage, because other bills were not getting paid. All I know is: the scripture instructs us to tithe:

 

“Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year” Deuteronomy 14:22.

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Malachai 3:10

 

There are no 'ands', 'ifs' or 'but's; it just say to DO IT! So, I did it, knowing it would cause drama in the house-hold. 2006 was the year of financial hardship for us; we struggled that entire year. I didn't understand why we were going through that. Of course I questioned God. I figured, I've always been a faithful giver; I just did not understand it.  One of the scriptures I kept leaning on was 1 Peter 4:12-13, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy”.  

 

Even though my husband was no longer unemployed, trying to play catch up was nearly impossible. We ended up getting evicted from our apartment, ducking and dodging calls from bill collectors; you name it. We were living in Virginia during that time, so we decided to move to South Carolina and start fresh. I wasn't quit sure how or why we were planning a move with little income, but somehow we managed to do it. My husband applied for ONE job prior to moving to SC; he was hired on the spot (that was God). Me, on the other hand, applied for numerous jobs prior to the move, but nothing came through until I was physically living in SC. We had a nice apartment ready to move into as soon as we got to SC; that was nothing but GOD considering the eviction we had on our record and all the delinquent bills. Even though things were working in our favor, we still had a backlog of bills to catch up on. I really couldn't see how that was going to happen because the income we had at the time, was just enough money to survive and stay current on our new bills. I remembered saying to husband the beginning of 2008, "I'm not sure how (or when) it's going to happen, but this is the year, we are getting out of this hole (debt)". I told my husband to buckle up and get ready for the ride. Within five months of me making that statement, we both landed good paying jobs at Boeing. This allowed us to pay off some bills in full, pay bills early and still have money left over. We have never been in situation like this before. I know without a doubt, that God is rewarding me for all the years I was faithful in my giving. I kept giving to GOD even though my husband didn't quite understand it. I gave to God before I bought groceries. The first thing I did was set aside my tithes and offering before any bills got paid. No matter how hard things got, I made up in my mind, that I'm staying faithful to God; I'm in this race until the end. So, I'm a testimony that if you put God first, he will take care of you. No matter how long we have to wait, he WILL come through. As it says in Psalm 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread”. God made a way for us during our financial hardship; we were never hungry. We always had just what we needed when we needed.

 

One of my constant prayers is for my loved ones to be saved. I was attending church for about four years without my husband. Well, he would go to church with me every now and then, maybe once or twice every two months. That would bother me. I used to ask him if he was going to church with me and when he said "no" I would be so upset. I remembered my pastor told me a few years ago, "Lavone, don't continue asking him if he's going to church. He already knows you are going to church on Sunday mornings, so let him be. You just continue to get up on Sunday mornings, get dressed and come to church." I immediately took my Pastor's advice and did exactly as he stated. I just kept praying for my husband; it was a lot of years of praying. As a matter of fact, I prayed for so many years about the issue, I forgot about it and my prayer was answered before I knew it. Today, my husband not only attends church with me, he even goes to church if I'm out of town. That is nothing but God! When there's various church functions going on, my husband wants to participate. I'm just in awe!! God is just so good!! 

 

God is making changes in my husband and our marriage; I'm so grateful for what he is doing and what is in store. 

 

If we are obedient and stay in the race, God will come through: I have the testimonies to prove it.