I was always afraid of the Lord’s coming. My sister Pam and I always shared a bed and I’d wake in the middle of the night absolutely terrified to turn around to see if she was still there or not. She was saved before I was so I knew she would be going and I’d be left behind if He did come back.

We were always brought to any gospel meeting within an hour and a half so I heard the gospel plenty and I decided I’d quietly figure it out on my own at some point. I was very afraid that I was going to miss it but still quietly struggled along. When I was 18, Eugene Higgins and Sidney Maxwell came for tent meetings in Bonshaw. That was 1990 for anyone who likes to know dates. 😊

I sat through 6 weeks of gospel meetings and couldn’t get it. Eugene called me up on Monday, August 6, and asked me if he could come for a chat. I certainly did NOT want to talk to him but didn’t have the bravery to say no so accepted his offer and hardly ate a thing from Monday until Wednesday when he said he was able to come. It takes a lot to ruin my appetite! 😬 He explained to me when he came on Wednesday that when Jesus died on the cross, He died for every one of my sins and explained that in Isaiah 44.22 redeemed meant saved.

Isaiah 44:22 KJV
[22] I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

I went to work that evening instead of to gospel meeting and all I could think of as I rang groceries in (I was a cashier at a grocery store) that I was going to go to hell because I couldn’t just accept something so simple as that. The work was all done, there was nothing left for me to do but take it and I didn’t know how so I was going to hell. I went home from work and was getting ready for bed with all those dark thoughts rolling around in my mind. I asked myself why couldn’t I just accept it? Why couldn’t i just believe it? Why couldn’t i just say “oh” and take it for myself. That’s what I did right then and there. I realized that’s all I did have to do was say “oh, He did that for Me. Thank you!!” 😊

Since I heard the word “saved” all my life and figured that was unattainable for me, I didn’t clue in that I was actually saved but I knew if the Lord came, I was going. What a wonderful….feeling/knowledge/fact!

The next day I went to work again. On my break I got my Bible out again to look at that interesting verse that Gene had showed me. “I have blotted out…thy sins…return unto me for I have redeemed thee. Hey, He said redeemed meant saved. I’m saved!! Haha.

That night after gospel meeting I whispered to Sandra not to tell anybody but I was saved last night. She didn’t agree to my request. She made quite a scene. Lol. I panicked for a fraction of a second then enjoyed that everyone was rejoicing with me. 😊

Psalm 105:5 KJV
[5] Remember his marvellous works that he hath done …