The bitter and the sweet come from the outside, the hard from within.
ALBERT EINSTEIN
"His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him."
LUKE 1:50
In August of 1985, my mother went in the hospital for exploratory surgery. She was having pain in her stomach area and the doctors wanted to see if they could find the problem. My mother never recovered from the surgery. She went in a coma and within seven days she died. My father had died ten years earlier and her sudden death was quite a blow to my sister and I, and the rest of our family. My wife, two aunts, my grandmother, and my sister were with me during this time. They were such a comfort. We all comforted each other. During the last three or four days of my mothers life I did a lot of praying, and a peace came over me that I could not explain. I had been a Christian for about two years, but was not active in a church nor did I have a church family for support. What happened was that the presence of the Lord had surrounded me, and it was so evident that it could be felt. It was as if I was floating in the substance of pure love. God had paid me a visit to help me through this tough time. I remember asking the chaplain at the hospital why I felt such a presence and he told me it was because the Lord was needed. Its hard to imagine walking away from God after having an experience such as this, but I did. I walked away and through my own selfish desires lived a life that led me to the gutter. Broken I reached out for help, and a loving God that I understood welcomed me back with open arms. Grace was extended to me one more time. Today I dont want to walk away anymore. I can always walk away, but whether or not I will be able to walk back that is the question. My desire is to live in the presence of my Lord and Savior. Today God is doing for me what I could not do for myself JRE
"I know realize that my former prejudice against clergymen was blind and wrong. They have kept alive through the centuries a faith, which might have been extinguished entirely. They pointed out the road to me, but I did not even look up, I was so full of prejudice and self-concern. When I did open my eyes, it was because I had to. And the man who showed me the truth was a fellow sufferer and a layman. Through him, I saw at last, and I stepped from the abyss to solid ground, knowing at once that my feet were on the broad highway if I chose to walk."
BILL W. letter dated 1940
ALBERT EINSTEIN
"His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him."
LUKE 1:50
In August of 1985, my mother went in the hospital for exploratory surgery. She was having pain in her stomach area and the doctors wanted to see if they could find the problem. My mother never recovered from the surgery. She went in a coma and within seven days she died. My father had died ten years earlier and her sudden death was quite a blow to my sister and I, and the rest of our family. My wife, two aunts, my grandmother, and my sister were with me during this time. They were such a comfort. We all comforted each other. During the last three or four days of my mothers life I did a lot of praying, and a peace came over me that I could not explain. I had been a Christian for about two years, but was not active in a church nor did I have a church family for support. What happened was that the presence of the Lord had surrounded me, and it was so evident that it could be felt. It was as if I was floating in the substance of pure love. God had paid me a visit to help me through this tough time. I remember asking the chaplain at the hospital why I felt such a presence and he told me it was because the Lord was needed. Its hard to imagine walking away from God after having an experience such as this, but I did. I walked away and through my own selfish desires lived a life that led me to the gutter. Broken I reached out for help, and a loving God that I understood welcomed me back with open arms. Grace was extended to me one more time. Today I dont want to walk away anymore. I can always walk away, but whether or not I will be able to walk back that is the question. My desire is to live in the presence of my Lord and Savior. Today God is doing for me what I could not do for myself JRE
"I know realize that my former prejudice against clergymen was blind and wrong. They have kept alive through the centuries a faith, which might have been extinguished entirely. They pointed out the road to me, but I did not even look up, I was so full of prejudice and self-concern. When I did open my eyes, it was because I had to. And the man who showed me the truth was a fellow sufferer and a layman. Through him, I saw at last, and I stepped from the abyss to solid ground, knowing at once that my feet were on the broad highway if I chose to walk."
BILL W. letter dated 1940
