It was 1980, and my Dad had been going out to gospel meetings in Freetown with Harold Croken. That was in May. I’m not sure when Mom and I started going, and maybe she went awhile before I was expected to go, but in August, she got saved.

I remember listening pretty well, but as a 14-year-old, I was distracted easily. I was definitely questioning a lot that was said, John 3:16,36 were two verses that were my mind all the time.

John 3:16 KJV
[16] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:36 KJV
[36] He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

I knew my sins were taking me to Hell. Mom had gotten saved, and that troubled me. The next couple of nights, I listened intently, and John 3:36 kept coming back to me, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.

That night on the 29th, I accepted that Jesus died on the cross not just for my past sins but for my present and future sins. I was very quiet about it, not sure what I had just discovered, but on the way out, I told Mr Ramsay I had gotten saved. I had gotten in the car to head home, and I’m not sure if I told my Dad I had gotten saved or He overheard me telling the preachers. But none the less he said oh Darlene, you better not be just saying that because Mom just got saved. Of course, after that, I was so mad at him for not believing me that I refused to go back to meeting.

Needless to say, every evening was a fight ending with me crying my way to meeting. It was a long winter… He also made me tell my friends at school that I could no longer be friends with them because I had gotten saved, but that didn’t go over well. Spring turned into summer, and school was out.

Helen Andrews saw that I wasn’t doing so well spiritually and offered for me to come live with them during the week to help out in her bookstore. Her and Hillard we’re so good to me, reading the Bible and praying with me every day.

Well, 43 years later, I have been disappointed in myself many times, but the Lord knew all along my future and loved me just the same.