MY TESTIMONY OF GOD’S
WONDERFUL GRACE
BY NANCY COMPTON, WETASKIWIN, AB
THE FIRST 5 1/2 YEARS OF MY LIFE WERE OF GOOD MEMORIES ON A FARM SOUTH OF LLOYDMINSTER, AB WHERE MY MOTHER WOULD SOMETIMES TAKE ME AND 3 BROTHERS TO SUNDAY SCHOOL.
I REMEMBER HER ROCKING MY LITTLE BROTHER AND I IN HER ROCKING CHAIR AND SINGING SONGS. ONE OF THOSE SONGS WAS ‘JESUS LOVES YOU THIS I KNOW’. LIFE WAS GOOD THERE ON THE FARM. MOM WOULD ALSO SING HYMNS AROUND THE HOUSE. ALTHOUGH I WAS A SHY KID AND FEARFUL OF PEOPLE I WAS STILL A HAPPY FUN LOVING LITTLE GIRL, UNTIL DAD MOVED US TO VERNON B.C.
THEN, THINGS BEGAN TO CHANGE FOR THE WORST!
SUDDENLY, THERE WAS DRINKING AND FIGHTING BETWEEN MY PARENTS, AND THEN POVERTY. MOM COULDN'T HANDLE THINGS ANYMORE SO EVENTUALLY SHE GAVE UP AND WENT DAD'S WAY. THEN WE BECAME A VERY DISFUNTIONAL FAMILY.
THE OLD SAYING OF ‘MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO’ IS TRUE. I TOOK MY FIRST DRINK OF ALCOHOL AND SMOKED MY FIRST CIGARETTE AT THE TENDER AGE OF EIGHT. BY THE TIME I WAS 12, IT WAS A WAY OF LIFE. THIS LED TO GETTING INTO TROUBLE AND NOT GOING TO SCHOOL VERY OFTEN, MAINLY BECAUSE OF OTHER KIDS MAKING FUN OF ME. SO, MY EDUCATION WAS LIMITED TO GRADE 7.
SEXUAL ABUSE STARTED AT THE AGE OF 9 AND CONTINUED INTO MY MID TEENS. I LIVED A PERMISCOUS LIFE AND THOUGHT ABOUT SUICIDE.
AT SEVENTEEN, I MARRIED AN ALCOHOLIC. I FOOLISHLY THOUGHT THAT THINGS WOULD BE OK AND WE WOULD HAVE A GOOD MARRIAGE, AND BRING UP OUR CHILDREN IN A PERFECT HOME. THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN, OF COURSE, AS HE BECAME VIOLENT.
I REALLY DO KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE WHEN A 6.5mm RIFLE BULLET MOVES THE AIR WHILE WHIZZING PAST MY LEGS AND HITTING THE KITCHEN DOOR! AND ON OTHER OCCASIONS, POINTED IN YOUR FACE.
I HAD MADE A FEW WEAK ATTEMPTS AT SUICIDE. I LIVED WITH HIM 10 YRS AND FINALLY DIVORCED. I KNEW AT THIS POINT I NEEDED HELP, BUT I WAS TOO ASHAMED AND AFRAID OF TELLING ANYONE ABOUT MY PROBLEM, SO I CLOSED UP AND CONTINUED LIVING A PERMISCOUS LIFE, IN A BOTTLE, UNTIL I BECAME SERIOUS ABOUT SUICIDE.
IN 1978, I LEFT MY THREE GIRLS AT MY MOM'S PLACE IN KAMLOOPS, BRITISH COLUMBIA IN MY ‘MESSED UP MIND’ I REASONED THAT THEY WOULD BE BETTER OFF WITHOUT ME. I DRANK HEAVILY FOR THREE OR FOUR DAYS PRIOR TO MY PLAN OF DRIVING OVER A CLIFF INTO A RIVER.
I WAS DRIVING THROUGH A HORRIFIC THUNDER STORM THAT NIGHT CRYING AND SREAMING OUT IN ANGER AND FURIOUS RAGE AT GOD, AND BLAMING HIM FOR THE RUINATION OF MY LIFE. (NOT KNOWING THAT HE REALLY LOVED ME)
I HAD MY FOOT READY TO JAM THE GAS PEDAL TO GO OFF THE ROAD OVER A STEEP RAVINE, WHEN SOMETHING THAT I HAD’NT PLANNED HAPPENED. I SCREAMED OUT IN FRUSTRATION TO GOD AT THE TOP OF MY VOICE; "GOD PLEASE HELP ME".!!!!
THEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN EVERY THING WENT SILENT AND STILL, AND I NOTICED A SOFT GLOW OF LIGHT IN THE CAR, I SAW NO ONE ELSE ON THE ROAD. NEXT, I FELT A PRESENCE IN THE CAR WITH ME.
I COULDN'T SEE ANY ONE WITH MY PHYSICAL EYES, YET I KNEW WHAT HE LOOKED LIKE. HE HAD WAVY GOLDEN HAIR FALLING OVER HIS SHOULDERS, AND A WHITE GOWN THAT SEEMED TO GLOW.
AT THAT MOMENT, I BECAME COMPLETELY SOBER! THEN HE SPOKE TO ME, AND SAID IN THESE EXACT WORDS: “DON'T BE AFRAID...DON'T WORRY... GO HOME, EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT”. I WAS WONDERING WHAT WAS HAPPENING! I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, COULD THIS BE GOD?
THEN HE SPOKE AGAIN THE VERY SAME WORDS, THE VERY SAME WAY, LIKE IT WAS RECORDED. THEN HE WAS GONE! I WAS STILL DRIVING, AND EVERYTHING WAS STILL QUIET. I LOOKED OUT OF THE WINDOW, AND THERE WERE STARS TWINKLING IN THE SKY. I PULLED OFF ON A SIDE ROAD TO TRY TO COMPREHEND WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED.
I HAD TO FINALLY BELEIVE THAT IT WAS GOD (BACK THEN I DIDN'T KNOW ANGELS WERE REAL). I BEGAN TO GET REALLY EXCITED, TO KNOW THAT GOD HEARD ME AND THAT HE MUST LOVE ME. WHEN I CALLED IN MY DESPERATION, HE HEARD ME AND SAVED ME FROM MY OWN DESTRUCTION.
THEN I GOT REALLY EXCITED!!! NEEDLESS TO SAY, I DIDN'T GET ANY SLEEP THAT NIGHT. I COULDN'T WAIT TO GET HOME AND SEE MY KIDS AGAIN AND CHANGE MY LIFE. UNFORTUNATELY, I FELL INTO THE SAME OLD LIFE (AS I WAS PLAYING MUSIC IN BARS, ETC.)
I GOT BORN AGAIN IN 1980! THE OLD ME DIED, AND JESUS BECAME LORD OF MY LIFE AND CHANGED MY HEART. HE DELIVERED ME FROM BEING AN ALCOHOLIC, SMOKING, AND ALL THE OTHER JUNK!
NOW, MY "NEW AND GOOD" HUSBAND AND I ARE SERVING THE LORD BY MINISTERING THE GOSPEL IN SONG AND TESTIMONY. THE BIBLE SAYS: “ALL WHO CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.” HE HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE TOO!
