Sunday's Monday

A snap shot of my story: I drank my last drink at nine forty-five on June 12, 1992. Hallelujah! While I was detoxing, I began to pray, even in the mist of my new-found confusion of recovery, life style adjustments and viewing everything through the glasses of the fear and doubt. I knew that God had a hand in what had happened to me and as I prayed I knew that I would never make it on my own. My prayers were slowly geared toward God I believe that you have someone appointed to help me, please have me not to stop looking until we connect. I found myself experiencing the freedom of alcohol and the moodiness was improving but the joy wasn’t there. It seemed that the churches that I liked weren’t set up or didn’t know how to help my situation, they had simply wanted me there as a number, as well AA wasn’t filling the bill toward my recovery either. But I kept on trying to do my part in the things that I felt God wanted for me and it seemed everytime I would get discouraged he would do something to let me know that He is for me not against me. This went on for five years, with me continually asking God to show me the one appointed to help me grasp hold of kingdom living, while in the same prayer pleading for Him to please lead me to the place that I am to take root. Then on Saturday September 26, 1997 my aunt Lucille Drum (whom I seldom talked to at the time) called to invite me to visit the church they attended on Sunday. Feeling sorry for her because she was old and always worried about someone or something, I said that I would be there. I had no expectations of ever liking this church but I knew that I would make one little old woman happy for that one day. On September 27, 1997, we visited New Life Christian Fellowship in Conover, NC and I shook hands with Pastor Joe Dillard, for the first time and I knew at that moment, it was he that God had led me to. He married Pat and I three weeks later in that church on October 15, 1997 and 20 years later he is still my spiritual leader. God is so gracious that He not only allow me to learn from Joe, He allowed me to share life with Joe. I’ve learned that discipleship is so much more than the title and it is far greater than any teaching or preaching. Discipleship is doing life together, fellowshipping without judgement, sharing god’s goodness, and loving without fail. This is heaven on earth and the eternal meaning of brotherly love.