Erics Testimony
Many people have heard my testimony of how God rescued me. It all started being raised mainly by my mother after my mom and dad divorced when I was in 3rd grade. My mom then married an abusive man who beat us regularly including my mother who left him and returned back to him so many times I lost track. We lived in Nevada at the time, and I told my mom we need to get as far away from him as possible! So we sold everything we had to go to Pennsylvania to be near her sister.
After about 30 days my mom told me she was going back to him. I told her I wanted to stay at my aunt’s house instead. My mom had other plans instead she told me I would be staying with an Assembly of God Pastor and his wife. Not knowing them I was reluctant to go. But after some thought considered going there instead of going back to Nevada to that life! What a change! They were very nice and took me in like I was their own! They had a lady evangelist stay with them. I heard her one evening in her room, my ear pressed against the door, speaking in tongues and praising God. The next evening we were sitting with them at dinner, we were praying for the meal, she looked up and told me God gave her a vision of me in my 40's doing something for the Lord because I was sitting at a table with a bible open in front of me!! I shrugged that off since I never served God even staying there.
I partied all the time not wanting to be part of living like a christian. I went in the Air force in 1982,when I had an airman in basic training whose name was Andy Smith. He always witnessed to me, but I didn't want to have anything to do with it! Then on to tech school, and guess who was assigned to the bunk above me.. Andy Smith! Then after 30 days leave, then off to Germany who do you think was assigned to my dorm room..You guessed it!!!
I never really caught on until after getting drunk in 1986 for 3 days straight. My dad asked me to come visit him in Springfield Oregon, so I did. I also went to church that night and God got ahold of my life!! I couldn't understand why people were rolling around on the floor and speaking in some other languages. So I told my dad I would walk back to his house and think things over!! But something happened that night to me, because I hungered in my soul for what these people had!!
The next weekend I was baptized in Jesus name and the desire to drink and cussing left me forever!!! I received the Holy Ghost not to long after that. I'm not saying things were wonderful after that because you know that living for God sometimes is not easy! My family didn't like what I had! My mother wanted her boy back the way he was! I guess even around anyone in my family they would feel like they had to watch what they said or did around me. That was God working in my life!! Last year I baptized my mother in Jesus name! My aunt told me that my mother changed after that moment! My mothered passed away in January and I miss her. My Dad also passed away 5 years ago March 8th and if it weren't for him inviting me to church, I don't know where I would be today!!! Thank You Jesus for rescuing me!!!