Hello Neighbor. Thanks for stopping by.
So we packed and moved to Alden, N. Y. where we purchased a home on a suburban street not too far from Buffalo where Al would be working at the Buffalo Plant there. Once we were all settled and kids were ready for school, we started to check the local churches to see which one we might decide to settle with. There was a Methodist Church a few blocks from our house. So we went to that one and learned that they, like so many other churches, were in need of people to help out in various needs. I began to work with some of the youth there.
We met a couple that attended a small country Baptist Church out in the boonies, as we called it. They invited us to come out some Sunday and join them in their service. So we did go and visit the church and enjoyed the fellowship and the sermon and the pastor. We felt comfortable there. It brought up the question of whether we should stay where we were, where they needed people to help them or to go to the little country church where we felt that we could get some spiritual growth.
It was a hard decision to make knowing how much we were needed at the Methodist Church, but we also knew that our own spiritual needs were important, too. One morning after Al had gone to work and the kids had gone to school, I climbed back into bed and had a little talk with God. I told Him I need to know what to do. I knew once I had made a decision that was what God wanted, I would not have to have this up and down feeling anymore. So I asked God to help me to know what to do.
The names of Mary and Martha popped up in my mind. God does that. So I got up and got my Bible and went to check out the Scripture. (Luke 10: 38-42) I read the Scripture, though I was already familiar with it, and the name Mary was impressed upon me to think about her and her position in the Scripture. Mary was spending her time sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to what He was saying while Martha was busy, busy preparing a meal, etc. Martha went to Jesus and complained to Him about Mary not helping in the preparation of the meal. Jesus said to Martha, "Martha, Martha, you are troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." So I looked at Mary and saw that she was spending her time with Jesus and listening to what He was saying. This Scripture said to me that even though work is good and necessary, there are times when it is important for the soul to be fed so that one may obtain spiritual growth. So right then and there, I had the answer. I knew that we should attend the little Baptist Church. I also knew that if the answer was the right one from God, I would not have any more up and down feelings about what to do. So we made the change.
It was a good move and we did get spiritual growth. Our oldest son, Scot, was baptized in a friends pond in their back yard with a cook out. The rest of us were baptized at another church that had a place to be baptized. It was a great experience for our spiritual growth. Especially for me. I remember that I fasted all that day, which I had never done before, because I wanted to make this time a special time in my spiritual life.
God was not through with me yet. I felt in my heart that I needed to commit my life to Him. But I was afraid that if I did that I could be sent off to Africa or someplace and I did not want to do that. Old Devil kept me thinking about that so I kept putting it off. Then I suppose God began to slowly work in my heart and soon I realized that the Devil was the one that was keeping me from committing my life to Him. I also realized that God probably would not do that as He already had given me a work to do. A husband to be with and three children to raise up. So I finally made the decision and Al and I both committed our lives to God in a special service at our little church in the country. So God had sent me to Alden, where He could do some special spiritual training in my soul.
Stop by again sometime and we'll have another chat.
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