One Farm Boy
[By Gerald Gates]

 There was a farm boy whose family went to church each week and participated in the works of the local church. He was given an RSV bible by the church when a child. He did not read it much but used it when needed for church activities. He was taught the Lord’s prayer and a good night prayer, and prayed to God more when things went awry in his world. Later, while in high school, he was given a small pamphlet by a cousin illustrating a clean person created by God who was stained with sin. They remained dirty looking until they came to Jesus who washed them clean once more. He kept that pamphlet. 

When at college things got stressful, he was introduced to the Christian Crusade for Christ group which helped him through that short time. Later at a different college he would go home on weekends and go to church there finding the comforts of home. He began listening to what the ministers taught from the Bible. On summer breaks on the farm, he even gave up watching Soap Opera’s with the others during lunch break, choosing to read the Bible in another room. One day he read Acts 2:38 and had questions about what it was talking about baptism. Later he asked the elderly minister serving the church about baptism. The minister said some churches required it to place membership with them, so he decided to wait and see where he would place membership some day to be baptized. When a new, younger minister came to town he was recommended the NIV bible that was easier to read than the RSV. He invested in one and put it to use.

One summer, he went to the Champlain Valley Fair and while at the Pavilion Center, this fellow, Clyde, introduced himself to the young man asking him to take the bible quiz at the churches display table. He was given a flyer from the church when he left. He kept that flyer. 

His senior year at college he had some decisions to make that took on some faith and risk. He sought God’s guidance and help in prayer and while staying at college went down to worship at that church from which Clyde handed out pamphlets at the fair. He worshiped there a few more times that last year of college. He began reading his bible more after graduation. He even taught Kindergarten Sunday school for a short time.

When seeking employment off the farm, he had extended family willing to help and also put his trust in God to help, traveling across country and finding a job. He moved into an apartment complex. About a month after moving in, a neighbor, Bill, noticed him leaving the apartment with bible in hand and said, “I see you have a bible there” and asked about it and then asked if he would like to come to church services with him the next day. He already had plans for the weekend. Two days later Bill met him again after work and asked if he would like to come to a church meeting that evening. He was glad to. And as the meeting was for three more evenings, he went to those also. The next Sunday he went to worship there again. After worship Bill asked if he would like to come over for burgers. Bill lived next door. The neighbor cooked up the burgers and they sat down at the table to pray and eat. After eating Bill asked him some questions about what he believed about salvation and baptism. Bill referred him to the Scriptures. There was some confusion about baptism for salvation that maybe that was what God did with Holy Spirit baptism spoken of in the four Gospels. Bill had him open his bible to baptism verses, Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38, and also impressed the importance of our love for Jesus Christ turning to John 14:15. Bill asked him what he thought and he replied, “I need to be baptized for the forgiveness of my sins.” The young man did not know all things about the church or the teachings of the gospel, but he knew he needed to be baptized into Christ Jesus to have his sins forgiven and be saved. He was cut to the heart, having not known the truth of God’s Word and having held on to some false ideas about it, but most of all, to have his sins forgiven he must be baptized, obeying the word of the Lord. He was baptized after the church assembly that evening. He was feeling a bit deflated at realizing his previous ignorance, but was refreshed to know he was forgiven after his obedience to God by the blood of Christ.

The Lord blessed the young man as he grew working with the church serving the Lord where he lived. God helped him through his own struggles, fears, and rejections from others to hear what he had to share of his faith. God’s word guided him to turn to God when he sinned in pride or selfishness or worldly desires over many years. 

Now older, he is not perfect but seeks purity, to always look to God and His word to guide his path in truth and love, love for God and for those in this world around him. He needs to work on offering that blessing to others as God has blessed him. That is the blessing of eternal life and the path of peace that our God and Savior has offered through Jesus Christ, who died for us that our sins might be forgiven.