When I was younger, salvation was a priority to me. It wasn’t always though. It was a priority to me though once I understood what it meant. I think the first time that it hit me, was one time we were having a spring revival. I think it was Bro. Andrew Stokes preaching. He preached a sermon on hell. He was really a preacher that scared me a lot when I was little. When he would really get going, he would start yelling and walking around and everything. But that night it scared me more than anything, he brought out such a clear picture to me of what hell, in his opinion, was going to be like. I will never forget some of the things and details he said. I think that was the first night that I realized that I had to actually do something or I would have to go to the bad place.
Okay so then we jump ahead to a summer revival. I was 10 years old. Bro. Massey was helping us out. I listened and everything trying to get and understand what I was supposed to do to get saved. Well, he kept saying all you have to do is come to an altar and get saved. He was just making it so easy… it seemed. First of all, I thought when he said an altar; I thought he meant the altar. Ya know the one up front, in front of everybody. Now when I was a young kid, I was like most others and I didn’t like to get up in front of crowds. I didn’t like to cause I would get all nervous and jumpy and stuff. So I just sat there and wouldn’t get up. I wish somebody would have told me that an altar could be anywhere. It would have really saved me some worries.
If you didn’t already know, my sisters and I are very close. We always have been. We always stick up for each other. They have always taken care of me. Well, two of them had already gotten saved. So naturally, they knew what was going on. Well that night, my last sister hit the altar. I thought, “Wow! I’m getting closer to that bench up there. That’s where I need to be. But I didn’t say anything, because my sister was up there on it and I didn’t want to interrupt. Well we all went up to the first pew to be with Arm’, Well. Karen sat down beside me and San sat down beside her on the first bench there. Well, I just started crying and praying right there cause I was like, I need to get saved and I need to get saved NOW. Well, Karen has always been able to read me good and she could tell that something was wrong with me. She leaned over and whispered, “Daniel, are you lost”. I looked at her like Duh! but I just whispered a nice little “Yes”. Well we just started praying together right there on the first pew. Well before I realized I guess Karen had told the whole church because Bro. Carver came over there and started praying with us. Then mom realized what was going on. She was up there with Amy and Dad at the altar. I looked up one time, because she was calling me. She told me to come up there. So I did, I just scooted Amy over and jumped right in beside her. Well when I was coming up to the altar I started feeling bad, because Bro. Carver was still back there at the pew praying for me. I guess I should have told him to stop, because I was on my way up there to pray for myself. But by that time I really couldn’t care less. I was in trouble.Now everything gets a little blurry here. All I know is that someone had told me once that you have to put everything else out of your mind, and it’s just got to be you and the Lord. So I did. So after a while, it didn’t really seem like I had anything to pray about anymore. I felt so much better. Well I stayed down for a long time after that. I don’t really know why. I was just trying to be 100% positive I had gotten it. Then I just thought to myself, why am I doing this when I’m saved. What am I still doing down here. I didn’t know, Bro. Carver might have still been back there praying for me, for all I knew. So I got up, and everybody was glad and I was thrilled and that’s that. That was the best day of my life and I could tell that story over and over and over. I remember every step I took.
