memory #27: My old man

Early in my parents' marriage, in the 1950s, my dad drank and smoked and didn't have a personal relationship with God. Still, mom, having accepted Jesus Christ as her savior at eight, had become a fearless prayer warrior. And as they say, God works in mysterious ways. A newlywed and a little jealous, Dad would follow mom to church every Sunday. The worship house was a small country church in the Texas brush with big screen-less windows kept open during service to let the breeze in. Bushes and flowers lined the church walls, and dad hid behind them and peeked through the windows to see if any man was trying to sit with his beautiful bride. To pass the time, he'd listen to the sermon and wait excitedly for the invitation when mom and her two sisters, Tia Jelita and Tia Linda, would sing. The Spirit was moving in dad's life though he didn't know it at the time.

Dad started to question long-held beliefs, and when mom wasn't around, he'd search scripture in her Bible the pastor had quoted in his sermon. One cloudless, beautiful day when the world around him seemed more vibrant and alive with color and filled with invigorating scents, and electricity was in the air, it happened.

As had been the routine for several weeks, dad waited for a half-hour before he followed mom to church, but excitement and anticipation for the word replaced the anxious, unsure feeling. It was a strange and exhilarating emotion he didn't quite understand. But as he crouched by the window listening to the pastor's closing statement and mom and her sisters began to sing, something stirred within his soul. And when the pastor gave the invitation, dad, struck by Holy Ghost lighting, jumped up.

Suddenly, the church doors were forced open as if by a high wind. The congregation was startled and turned to see dad standing at the entrance. He sprinted down the aisle, collapsed in front of the pastor, and, weeping, surrendered his life to the Lord. Mom hugged him and cried joyfully, and the pastor, my aunts, and the congregation joined in. They sang praises, and my dad felt a piece of heaven in his heart. My dad's life changed instantly. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here (2 Corinthians 5:17)!" From that moment on, he filled his life with beatitudes and, for the rest of his days, he followed the rugged cross.