Nothing good is ever easy!

The Hardest Coin

Turning it all around.

Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now I'm found was blind but now I see.

                                                    Rev. John Newton

About a year into my father's recovery from his heart attack mom decided that she was going to begin attending church again. She found a Seventh-day Adventist church in Independence and asked if I would be willing to attend with her that sabbath? I had to work as I remember so because I was unable to find someone to fill in for me I had to decline. 

My life had changed quite a bit in that period of time, I had found my own place and was making my way while contemplating going to church. This was when things took a wild sideways turn, my estranged wife showed up on my doorstep with a sob story about needing a place to stay so I agreed to let her stay under one condition, no drugs or alcohol and she had to find a job. Okay two conditions. A choice I would soon come to regret!

Deep down I knew this was not going to work, however, I also knew that somewhere the Bible teaches us that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. She did find a job driving children to school with the same taxi service that I worked for at the time. Then the bomb dropped, I came home from work and could smell the marijuana before I even entered the house, fortunately she hadn't picked up the habit of smoking crack as had the person she was visiting with. That was the last straw for me, I called the landlord and had the lease put in her name and I took all my clothes and furniture with me, leaving her with the house.

Unfortunately the smell of marijuana had triggered me and I fell back into smoking again. Not only was I smoking I had started drinking again as well, nobodies fault but my own. I wouldn't smoke before going to work, and stayed sober during the day, but after work it was a different story. I had gotten reacquainted with several of my friends from before sobriety and they would come over to "visit" me from time to time. I went to visit mom and dad to see how they were doing and mom told me that she was going to start taking Bible studies and asked if I would be interested in joining in. For the sake of truth I knew I had fallen from where I had been and was not happy with where I was, so I agreed.

It was a Revelation Seminar and was going to last about 27 weeks on Monday nights. On the first night I asked the leader of the group if there was a problem with me having to work for a short period after sundown on the Sabbath. There was, but that was something I would have to solve on my own. The studies went well and after  they were completed the pastor made arrangements to come over for a visit to see about baptism, mom and I felt that we were ready, but for some reason dad held off for his baptism, but he did start attending the weekly services. Mom and I were baptized two weeks later. Another positive step.

As a  family we attended regularly for about the next six months then a new wrinkle came into the fabric. Grandpa Wilcox in Florida was having some health issues so we decided as a family that we could go and look after him. I let the cab company know that I was leaving and that problem was solved. It also got me away from the bad influences I was walking away from, and it opened a new door for me.

We moved to Forest City and found a church in Altamonte Springs not too far away. Gramps was too engaged with the Forest City church he had attended for years so my uncle came over and watched him while we attended church. Leaving shortly after we came back. I got a job working with my cousin pumping concrete which worked out for a few months, until alcohol appeared on the way home from work one night. I quit the next day. Especially after I felt that I could develop a taste for it again after the one beer I drank that day.

Now out of work and still attending church with my parents, another seminar was being taught by Lester Pratt, so we went to the meetings. Every night he would give away a Bible Concordance if you turned in the ticket showing your attendance. I must admit I wanted one and as the meetings were getting close to the ending I began to wonder if I would win one. I figured if I was meant to have one God would make it happen for me. The last night of the meetings I had given up on the concordance, but I was still enjoying the pastor's message and the music of Roy and Amy Pauley, so for me that was enough. As the custom was the drawing for the concordance came at the end of the meeting and much to my surprise my prayer was answered and my name was called. Thank you God for hearing and answering that prayer.

Now, I was without a job or any type of income for roughly three weeks of the seminar and I needed to find a job. I needed some sort of income and I wasn't very particular where I would be working, I got a job at a Rax roast beef fast food place, but I wasn't happy with the hours. My biggest problem was that they wanted me to work on the Sabbath, and that was something I wasn't prepared to do. We agreed that I needed to find somewhere else to work, so I did.

To be continued. Peace

Afterthought:

Never give up hope, there is always something better waiting if you are patient and willing to push on. Jobs were few in a small town, but they were there, all I needed to do was wait just a little bit longer for the blessing that was out there for me.

Patience is a virtue, see you soon.

With love and hope comes peace