Godly Words of Encouragement

My life as a child was very insecure. My daddy was always the town drunk. He was one of the on again, off again, Christians. To the point, that once when I was playing at a neighbor's house, my friend's mother asked how my daddy was doing. I said, "He's fine. He's drunk again." Her eyes widened in disbelief, and she gasped, "Oh, my, I thought your daddy was a Christian!"
My innocent reply was, "Oh no ma'am, that was last week."

But when he wasn't drinking, we went to church. When he was drinking, there was always a way for me to go to church. My Grandma Kelly talked about God all the time. My mama told me about Jesus. I heard about Him at church. The neighbors talked about Him.

When I reached the age that I knew right from wrong, my conscience would bother me, when I did wrong. I'd be afraid to go sleep at night because I was afraid I'd die and go to Hell. Yet when I'd be at church and the invitation was given, I'd resist.

Finally, I could no longer resist the tugging at me heart. I made my way to the altar. When Jesus came into my heart, it felt like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders. I felt like I had been cleansed on the inside. That's exactly what had happened. The blood of Jesus had cleansed my heart.

I guess because of Daddy's drinking and instability, I had developed a bitter attitude. But the morning after I received Jesus as my Savior, I remember waking up. I had a fan sitting on the nightstand beside my bed. The first thing I did was stick my finger in the fan. At first I felt anger, but it disappeared in a flash. I remembered that I was a new person.

I looked out the window. The sky had never looked so blue. The grass looked greener. When I went downstairs to eat breakfast, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful everyone was. My whole outlook on life had changed in a split second.

I've been through a lot of spiritual valleys since then, but I know the Lily of the valley. I've been on the mountain tops, and I know the man who made the mountains. The mountains that have been too high for me to climb, He simply moved them for me. He has become my constant companion; a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8