My Grandpa was an itinerant Pentecostal Preacher. My Aunt Willie told me that Grandpa’s father, Rev. Robert Charles Danford, had offered to leave his homestead to Grandpa if he would stay there and live after Grandpa married. But Grandpa declined and left-his father died six months later. That land is all under water now, due to the dam that was later built.

Grandpa moved with his family quite often. I have seen pictures of him baptizing in the river. My parents would often leave my sister Janie and I with my grandparents, while they took trips. I remember one morning getting up when it was early and walking into the woods. Grandpa shot a bird for breakfast and Grandma fried it in the cast iron skillet-best breakfast I have ever had! Grandpa and Grandma always had a garden. I remember them giving me a drink from the dipper that hung by the well-it tasted tinny.

I remember accepting Jesus as my Savior and Lord at Grandpa’s house when I was about 7 or 8 years old. Grandma had told me the Plan of Salvation and when I wanted to ask Jesus to come into my heart, Grandma told Grandpa. He questioned me to be sure I knew what I was doing, and then put his hand on my head and prayed over me. I remember his prayer to God was that He would use me to minister-and then, “Yes, even make her a Minister!”

Being raised by parents that didn’t take me to Church, the memory of my conversion vanished from my mind until I was 19 years of age. I attended Church and had stood in the pew trembling for two Sundays in a row, resisting the Holy Spirit’s calling to go down to the altar and confess Him as my Savior. This Sunday I could resist no more. I practically ran down the isle before the Minister could get the invitation out of his mouth. When I got there it was like a flood tide had washed over me and took a thousand pounds off of my shoulders! As the tears poured from my eyes I thought, “I’ve felt this (the Holy Spirit) before in Grandpa’s house.” And then the memory of my earlier conversion came to remembrance. Sooo...you might say that I had the chance to accept the Lord twice. Once is enough-but I thank God for refreshing my memory!

God is good. His hand has been on me from childhood. He has been there through the darkness. He has been there through the light. He has seen. He has heard. And He has brought me through my 58 years on Earth to proclaim His Message! It is the only thing that makes real sense in this world.

“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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:16,17