Bringing Forth Gold

I am finishing up 1st Peter in my beloved Bible#5 in my desire to re-read straight through the New Testament by Christmas time.  This has been quite an experience for me because my usual plan is to read whatever "calls" to me at any given stage of my life.  In this manner, I have read my entire Bible(s) at least 20 times, but never in order from beginning to end.  I study as I go, also, so each reading takes several years.  This is how my devotional life plays out and has been very satisfying and helpful to me.  When I have filled all available space in the margins of my Bible, I buy a new one and start again.  As I go back and re-read my notes from time to time, I am able to relive wonderful memories and grow again from past experiences in the Word.  1st Peter has been a wonderful trip down memory lane, reaching back to 1958 when I decided, at Youth Camp, to totally and irrevocably commit myself to God and to the way of holiness.  The 3 years before then I had been experimenting and sitting on the fence between God's way and the way of my friends.  1958 was the dividing line between for me, and I have never looked back since.

This decision to "go all the way" was welcomed by my mentors in my home church and by all my seriously Christian friends in our Susquehanna District of the Free Methodist Church and the adventure began.  In my home, however, a different reaction occurred.  My mom and dad were supportive and so were my brothers, even though they all thought I had gone a little farther than I needed to go with this "religion" thing.  I had mixed reactions from my sisters, including one who decided I had become mentally ill and needed help.  She tried to persuade my parents to get me help, and when that did not work she took things into her own hands.    She would hide my mail or destroy it.  She ridiculed me, argued with me, caused me all kinds of trouble.  We eventually stopped talking altogether.  This went on for about a year, I think.  During this time, Jesus came and personally met with me on a daily basis.  My church people prayed and cared for me, and one friend drove 100+ miles one weekend to counsel and pray with me.  At the end of that year, there was a fire in my home and several members of the family were burned, one very seriously.  This sister was away at the time and when she heard about it all, she wanted to hear all that we had to say about how it all happened.  When she actually listened to my words we were all amazed!  She had evidently had a wake-up call and decided family was too important to discard.  It also helped that of all the family present during the fire, I was the only one untouched by the flames. She later gave her heart to the Lord while watching Billy Graham on t.v.  I do not know how far she went in her experience with God but I have left that to Him.  I only know He made gold from my fire and I have had wonderful joy from it all - and more to come!  The memories came flooding back as I read 1st Peter 4:12-13.  It was a fiery trial at the time, but I wouldn't trade it now for anything!

All this happened when I was 16.  This is such an important time in our lives, and I pray often and diligently for my loved ones caught up in the world and being tempted by Satan to forsake all they have known and heard up to this time.  There just is no better way than God's way.  Those of us who know this to be true must pray hard for our young people.