I'd like to share a life changing story that is true. It all happened a
little over 11 years ago. In a country church in Texas. 

My husband and I had attended this little church for several years. He
would sit in the pew each Sunday as I sang in the church choir. 

I have known the Lord as my Savior since I was a child. And gave my heart
to the Lord as Savior of my life at the age of 16. I knew God was calling
my heart into service for Him, but I just didn't know where or when or why?

I was just a baby Christian and had years to grow in His Word. I met my 
future husband at about the same time I gave my heart to the Lord. 

I loved him for his gentleness, his loving ways and kind spirit. I knew
there would be differences in our lives and we would have to work them out
as we went along if we were to be married. You see my soon to be husband was 
Catholic and I was Baptist. 

Oh, we loved the same Lord but had a lot of different views on what it 
meant to be a child of God.

We married a year after my graduation from high school. I knew this was 
the man God had chosen for me. So we began our lives together with God's 
blessing.

We added 3 beautiful daughters to our little family and life was happy. 
But there was just something missing in our marriage and I just couldn't 
put my finger on it. It was a void that I knew only God was able to fill. 

I loved my husband with all my heart, but I wanted him to love and know 
the Lord like I had for years. You know, that personal walk you can have 
with Him in good times and the bad times.

As our family grew so did the trials of life and raising a family. We 
moved from our hometown in New Jersey to Ohio for my husband's job. It was 
hard to be without our family around us for the first time. This is when 
our life changing experience begins. 

There were days my husband was on the road more then he was home and I had 
to do the raising of our children, the cooking, grass cutting, banking and 
SNOW SHOVELING! It snowed for 30 days straight! One night it snowed 22 
inches! I cried all night trying to keep the snow off the driveway so it 
wouldn't freeze and we would be able to get our car up the driveway and 
off the street. 

My husband returned home to Ohio and realized that his family meant more 
to him then any money or job title. So he moved us back to our hometown 
and he went to work back in the plant. How happy we were! All was well 
with the world and our little family. 

We lived there for 1 1/2 years and then one morning I went out to get the 
morning paper and in big print on the front page it read. THE DEATH OF A 
PLANT! It had a picture of the glass plant where my husband worked. 

I ran up the steps, tears streaming down my face and woke my husband from 
his sleep and asked, "What's this Richard?" He said, "Babe I didn't want 
to tell you until the meeting today. I wanted to be sure it was going to 
happen." I asked him, "Where do we go from here? No job and a large house 
payment. Kids to dress and feed. Insurances!" He told me he was offered to
go to either Virginia or Texas. I prayed for Virginia! Oh how I prayed for 
Virginia!. It was only 6 hours away from home. 

He went for his interviews to both plants. The next week we were told he 
would go to Texas. TEXAS! No! I wouldn't go! God! It wasn't fair! Texas 
was 1600 miles away! 

But January and the harshness of winter came and the moving van packed up 
all our life's belongings and memories. I had to leave behind the plants 
and bulbs that were given to me by my husbands grandmother. The ground was 
cold and frozen. Just like my heart felt. 

Adjusting to Texas was hard. Oh, the people were friendly enough. But I 
wasn't going to like them! I didn't want to be here! 

I couldn't see any reasoning for God moving me to Texas. So I just sat 
back and refused to show the love of God that was instilled in my heart. I 
felt abandoned and alone. 

By chance I met a neighbor who talked with me and told me that God had a 
reason for moving me to Texas and in His due time He would show me why. 

So I asked God to forgive me for being so selfish and started teaching His 
children about His love and Singing again the music God wrote on my heart 
to share with the world. 

Years had past and the void was still there. I prayed 25 years for my 
husband to come to know the Lord as his Savior and one morning as I sang 
in our church choir, my friend nudged me and pointed to the aisle of the 
church. 

As the invitation song was being sung, I raised my head and the tears 
started to flood my cheeks. There walked my husband down the aisle with 
tears flowing down his face! Thank you Lord from whom all blessings flow! 

The pastor was crying and hugging my husband and there wasn't a dry eye in 
the church. They all knew I had been praying for my husbands salvation for 
years. 

I knew on that day that God does answer prayer! You just might have to 
wait a while for the answer. But He will answer it! 

The following Sunday the sun was shining not only in the sky, but in both 
our hearts. The sermon held more meaning and the music was sweeter to our 
ears. A Joy you just can't explain until you experience it. 

After church my husband walked up the aisle to leave church. He stood up 
against the foyer wall as he did each Sunday waiting for me to get out of 
my choir robe and meet him in the foyer. As he was waiting there, a man who 
was very shabbily dressed and dirty and smelled pretty bad stood next to 
him and said "I guess I missed church?" My husband replied, "yes, But we 
have Sunday school classes that follow church. Let me get someone who can 
show you to a class." He turned away for just a few seconds to 
look for our pastor and when he turned back around, the man was gone! 

My husband came back over to me and we left and got in our van and started 
home. 

Richard was quieter then usual. Then he turned to me and told me the story 
about the man in the shabby clothes and what he did to help him find a 
Sunday school class. And when he turned back around in just a few seconds, 
the man was gone. 

He had tears in his eyes as he told me the story. I turned and looked at 
him with tears in my eyes also. I told my husband it must have been a sign 
from God. I also told him God might have been testing him to see if he 
would share his new found faith with someone else. Then I showed him a 
scripture and read it from my Bible in the book of Hebrews 13: 2. "Do not 
neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have 
entertained angels without knowing." 

We both smiled. We knew he had been in the presence of God and His angels. 
Our life would never be the same after that experience. We know now why 
God had moved us to Texas. There are lost souls who need unconditional 
love, God's love, right here in Texas. Just like back in our own hometown. 

You think this is the end of the story? No, it's still continuing day by day. 

Some people think life get easier as a Christian. But that's not always true. 

Sometimes life can get harder. 

We found out in 1999 that I have Multiple Sclerosis and Lupus. They say 
there's no cure for this disease. 

From the time I was diagnosed, until now, I don't know how I would have 
made it this far without the love and support from my devoted husband, my 
children, grandchildren, family, friends near and far, my dear brothers and 
sisters in Christ. And yes! My Best friend, JESUS. 

Some people would say where is your God now? Why has He allowed this to
happen to you since you have served Him for so long. 

I say to this. Why am I any different than anyone else who has to suffer 
life's trials when they come our way. 

It is written in God's own word that the suffering here on this earth 
cannot be compared to the joy we will share in heaven! 

Yes, we have come a long way in the years of our 34 years of marriage. 

We have had many life changing experiences. 

And someday we will have the ultimate experience of hearing our heavenly
Father say "Welcome. At last you are both home again my children."


Terry J. Gaburo