It all started about twenty years ago in a small town called Chadron, Nebraska. I was welcomed into this world by a wonderful mother, father, three year old brother, and a host of other family and friends who loved me dearly; I am so thankful for them and for the love that they have shown me all of my life. I guess one could say that I was never really a bad child but I donít think that one could label me a good child either. In fact I did some really stupid things when I was little. Once I almost burned down the tool shed, I got into the liquor cabinet, I was an impulsive liar that lied whenever it might benefit me, and I also broke into the local gun club and broke hundreds of dollars worth of clay skeet. I always knew that what I was doing was wrong, but for some reason I kept on keeping on with my sorry behavior. In fact, thatís what I used to tell my mother and father, ìIím sorry,î and quite frankly I was sorry, sorry excuse for a son. Please donít think that they ever told me that, I just knew how sorry my actions really were. I always had something trying to tell me to stop what I was doing, one might call it a little voice or maybe my conscience, but really, it was much more like a whisper from my heart telling me that what I was doing was wrong. This little whisper kept talking to me and kept getting louder and louder until one day in my seventh year of life I felt a great and strong presence about me, you might call it a shroud of warm light, I call it an angel of the Lord. I spoke with the angel that Christ sent to me that day but to this day I can not remember the exact content of that conversation all that I can remember is that I felt a great peace and that I have only felt on a couple other occasions. Ever since that day I have felt very compelled to do Gods work. You may think that my evil sins had ended on that day, but that could not be more wrong. My young life was still full of sin. The whisper, however, does remain a constant reminder that I am supposed to present myself as an example of Gods work. About one year later I felt the desire to open up the Bible and to read it, so that is exactly what I did, cover to cover, this took me approximately ten months. Though, honestly I did not understand it all, I did however realize that Jesus was good and that He saved all of his people from sin. I also realized that God was calling me to be a minister.
I put the entire idea of being a minister on the back burner. After all, I was just a kid and what does a kid know. I went to church and listened to the minister talk and went to Sunday school and learned the cute little songs, and eventually went through the confirmation classes required by my denomination in order to accept communion. (By the way, I am a practicing Missouri Synod Lutheran). Conformation was much later in my life, what came before that stands to be much more important. At about eleven or twelve I was climbing a small mountain with my brother and one of his friends as we got about half way up the top we came to a steep rocky slope, more like a sheer cliff. As I climbed that rock I began to slip and fall. I believe that an angel from God entered into my brotherís friend and that angel reached out and grabbed me. The reason that I believe it was and angel is that I felt that some peace that I felt when I was seven.
Even after the second encounter with the angels I still continued to back slide and show my unfaithfulness, but luckily God did not do the same to me. I would again feel the same peace a third time and yet even more recently a fourth time, but the fourth encounter is for later in this testimony of what God has done and is doing for me. The third experience came in my fourteenth year. My parents and I moved out to our families ranch at Lusk, Wyoming. In the summertime my cousin came out to visit us, we decided to go camping at a small reservoir located in a small range of hills. My parents, placing great trust and faith in me allowed me to use the old blue Ford truck for this little two-night adventure. My cousin and I decided to camp on the hill overlooking the pond, which required us to drive up a steep and rutted road. After making it to the top of this road we discovered that we had everything that we needed except for drinkable water. We proceeded in getting back into the truck and driving back down the hill, only we did not make it all the way down; we got high centered in one of the deeper ruts. At this point we lost complete ability to think logically. We both, without setting a parking brake, got out and started lifting and pushing and lifting and pushing until finally it was released from the rut. I realized then what I did not realize when I first got out of the truck, ëthings with wheels roll down hills unless otherwise impeded by a brake.í That point was where God sent his angel to once again bail me out and save my life. I was running on the steep side of the reservoir and consequently the one that the truck was closer to. Therefore, I was closer to death than I would have liked to imagine. I also miraculously was able to jump in the truck break it with my right hand and sear it with my left hand and remain completely safe. The old blue Ford stopped at approximately a fifty-degree angle with the earth. Godís angel must have had his hand on that truck; I again felt that same peace.
That summer ended quickly and the school year started. I met a lot of new people and made a few good friends. One of these friends was and remains to this day my best friend. Travis Shoults, what an example to follow, Travis is the most faithful person that I know. Up until this point I did not know what faith was, but I would come to learn by just observing Travis what faith really was supposed to be. Though he doesnít know it, Travis was my role model. I learned what it meant to really be in Christ. What an amazing brother Travis is to me. He always to my knowledge, led a Christ filled life. What a great example to follow. I not only learned from Travis but also from his parents. Their great hospitality has proven to be an example that I follow any time that I can, what a great blessing to know them! Christ truly has given me great friends that I can call family.
Those four years in high school we grew together in Christ. Great things donít always last forever but if you love Christ, they will last an eternity. Now I went to the Army and Travis went to college; would you believe that he is still being an example for me, he is a missionary in Bosnia.
I went to basic training on the 10th of June 1997, probably the most difficult events in my life yet I couldnít have made it through it without the Word of God. In basic training I claimed a scripture, Philippians 4:13 that says, ìI can do all things through He who gives me strength.î (KJV) Isnít that great? Ask anyone who knew me before basic training; they would tell you that I couldnít make it through it alone. But, I did make it through it, which proves to me that Christ was there with me. He was with me through the yelling, through the runs, through the road marches, through the foul language, and He was with me through the physical training. Christ kept me not only sane but also pure, for the Word of God says in Psalm 119:9, ì How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your (Gods) word.î I lived, though I did stumble, according to Gods Word. I at times would catch myself using profane language; I again heard the whisper from my heart. I asked forgiveness and I was forgiven. It is because of that strengthening process that I do not curse any more. Believe me, I took on many an insult, many a rude, vindictive, and snide comment. I endure this even to this day. I never fought or argued with those who persecuted the Christ in me, yet some have counted that as a weakness. The Apostle Paul said in his second letter to the Corinthians twelfth chapter and eighth through the tenth verse, ìThree times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, ìMy grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.î Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christís power may rest on me. That is why, for Christís sake I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardship, in persecutions, in difficulties, for when I am weak, then I am strong.î I try to thank God in every situation whether itís good or bad, this can be very hard at times but God gives me the strength. I believe that He gives us all strength if we just ask, believe and willfully receive it.
My testimony is getting
pretty long so I will cut to my fourth encounter with the angel from God.
I took twenty-one days of leave in May of 1998. My leave was almost over
so I was returning to Fort Hood from Wyoming. When I was approximately
150 miles east of Amarillo, Texas I got into a car accident going 70 miles
per hour. I felt the same peace again knowing that God would take care
of me and send his angel to guard me, ìso that you (I) will not strike
your (my) foot against a stone.î Psalm 91:12. By Gods grace no one
was seriously injured or killed. This brings me to now; I thank God for
the friends I have found through the Navigators Ministries. What a great
bunch of people! I thank God for them especially for my brothers Sean Surface
and Adam Philbeck. We have been able to confide in each other and allow
God to work through each of us to minister to one another and to be great
friends!
I end my testimony with this verse from Ephesians chapter six verses nineteen and twenty, "Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."
July 16, 1998