I Am Praying For You
As A Child
I remember it like it was yesterday even though it was 54 years ago. I was raised in a fundamentalist Christian home as I have noted in other Hubpages articles. And we had what was termed revivals. (These are still common in the Bible belt). It is nightly church meetings, back then they last for a week or two now in a lot of places they have been reduced to three nights. I have recollection of some that lasted for a month. Most of the time they were highlighted by a guest preacher called an evangelist. Most of the sermons were to entice non followers of Christ to become followers. By the age of five I had already sat through more of these revivals that a lot of people have in a life time. I am not complaining, it was something to do. By the end of the sermons I was generally asleep anyway. The end of the sermons were punctuated with an alter call. That was what salesmen term "closing the sale." One night I had managed to stay awake through the whole sermon and I had understood the thrust of the message, that I was born a sinner and if I wanted to go to heaven I needed to ask God to forgive me of my sins because no sinners were allowed to go to heaven. That evening I felt the urge to go to the alter and ask God to forgive me of my sins because I definitely wanted to go to heaven. And the part that I remember the most vividly was the joy I felt when I did that. I remember getting up and running back to where my parents were sitting and telling them even though they obviously could see what I had done.
As a teen and beyond
I was not baptised at the time nor really encourage to because I guess they didn't think I fully understood the meaning of what I had done. However about the age of twelve or so I had witnessed many converts being baptised after their conversion and by this time was fully aware of the meaning of baptism so I did get baptised.
I wish I could say that from that day, at the age of five, forward that I had continued a close relationship with Christ but I can't. Relationship have to be cultivated and I didn't do that and in my early teens I began to resent the sheltered and protected lifestyle that I was forced to live. I wanted to be and do like the other kids at school. I was not allowed to. Our family social life revolved around nothing but church. Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night and during revivals every night.
During my mid-teen years a new couple, my parent's age, started coming to church. The lady in particular took a great interest in the youth. She took the position of teacher of the teen Sunday School class. Also she started having programs for the teens on Sunday evening just for the teens. She would invite us out to their house for "parties". Those were times when we could just socialize with kids our age. There were usually snacks and we would gather around a piano and sing. But this lady was doing this because she had a real interest in us. She knew each of us and treated us like we were her own.
By knowing us as well as she did she could sense that I was not cultivating my spiritual relationship with God like I should and that I was becoming rebellious. But in her wisdom she didn't lecture me. Tell me what I should and should do etc. She would just make eye contact at opportune moments, grab my hand and say, "I am praying for you."
That impacted my life in a tremendous way. Throughout my later teen years I had times when spiritually I cultivated my relationship with God and then there were times when I didn't. I don't know why that was because the happiest times where when I was closest to God. At the age of 19 I went into the Air Force and only on rare occasions did I attend church (except during basic training it got us out of details if we went to church on Sundays so for six weeks straight I attended.) But during those years including the 15 months I spent overseas, during quiet times often I could see Gathel Freshour look me in the eye, grab my hand and say, "I am praying for you."
I am happy to report today that I survived those spiritually and emotionaly turbulent times in my life and today I enjoy a beautiful relationship with my creator. And though life is life at time and not always smooth I still remember her words like they were yesterday. Several years ago she passed to her eternal reward but the words will not be forgotten. It is not how much is said it is the sincerity with which it is said. And I know they weren't empty words. I know she really was praying for me.