The greatest thing that ever happened in my life is…
Having been raised next door to a fire station and having parents that were very involved in their local volunteer fire station, my goal in life was always to become a firefighter. Consequently, for many years I would have said the “greatest things that ever happened in my life, was the day that I became a professional firefighter. However, later in life and after being promoted several times and becoming a Battalion Chief, I realized something was missing in my life and I was not going to find it in the fire service. I can now say that the “greatest thing that ever happened in my life was the day I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior.
What my life was like before Christ…
Actually, my life before Christ was a good life and I have many good memories of my childhood, teenage, and early adult years. My parents loved me and provide well for me and my two sisters; however, they didn’t go to church and spent most of their free time drinking alcohol with friends and family. I was very fortunate to have a good grandmother and step grandfather who provided a place of refuge from the party atmosphere that surrounded my home life. I loved sports, played Little League baseball and most high school sports. My mother was good to taxi me to and from practice; my parents were faithful to attend all my games. When I turned 16 years old, I was able to become a volunteer firefighter; my entire life was centered on the fire station and high school sports. I moved into the fire station when I was 17 years old but occasionally spent a night at home during the week. After graduating from high school, I went to work for the City of Alexandria, Virginia in their vehicle repair shop as an accountant clerk. I transferred to their fire department when I was 21 years old.
In 1963, I met my wife (Carol Lynn Cox) and we married in February 1964. I worked 24 shifts at the fire station every other day and part-time as a maintenance man at the apartment complex where we lived. Our first child, Jame’ Lynn, was born on New Year’s Eve in 1965; we later had two other children, David Ernest born in July 1968 and Susan Marie born, on Jame’s birthday, December 31, 1971. I was going to college at nights to get a degree in Fire Science, something I needed for further promotion. I had my life planned out and was pleased with it.
How I came to know Christ…
In the mid 1970’s my wife started attending a local fundamental Baptist Church at my sister’s invitation. Our daughter, Jame’, had gone to a revival service with my sister and was saved. My wife had been saved as a young girl while attending a revival service in Biloxi, Mississippi. At that time in my life, to be “saved” didn’t mean anything to me. The extent of my church attendance was to go to the Episcopal Church in Alexandria on Easter Sunday. My grandmother Hicks was faithful to attend the Episcopal Church all her life and insisted that my father take us to church on Easter. She also insisted that I go through Catechism, which I did as a young teen. I attended church to please my grandmother Hicks.
I didn’t object to Carol and the children going to church on Sunday. I worked every other Sunday, so it was not a problem for me. I was invited to go with them many times but really didn’t have time or the desire to go to the Baptist church. On several occasions the Pastor would come to the house to visit me and more than once I told him to leave when he tried to witness to me.
When I achieved the rank of Captain, I was asked by the department to assume the duties of training officer, a position normally held by a Battalion Chief. I agreed, even though I would go into the administrative offices and work a regular 5 day workweek. This was a major change and meant giving up my part time employment. However, I realized it was necessary if I wanted to continue moving up in the department. Later, I was promoted to Battalion Chief and continued working in the administrative office. My immediate supervisor was Deputy Chief Roby; I had great respect for him; he greatly influenced my life. Chief Roby was diagnosed with cancer and during his illness, he realizing he was not going to live; he started attending a Baptist Church and got saved. Although I don’t recall him witnessing to me, he encouraged me to go to church. I started going to the Episcopal Church at Eight O’clock Mass; Carol and the children continued to attend the Baptist Church.
One day Carol came home from the Baptist church and said, beginning next week, she and the children would like to start going to church with me as a family. Initially, I didn’t have a problem with her decision. The next Sunday we went to the Episcopal Church. The children were familiar with the Baptist church and had many questions about the worship service at the Episcopal Church. They wanted to know why there was no Sunday school for them; they didn’t understand all the ceremony, robes, and communion. Even worse, I realized I could not explain these things because I really didn’t understand them myself. After a couple weeks of attending the Episcopal Church ,and having to answer lots of questions all the way home, I decided it would be easier for me and better for the children if I went to church with them at the Baptist Church.
Initially I really didn’t like going to the Baptist Church. I didn’t understand the hard preaching and I resented hearing that I was a sinner and was going to hell if I didn’t get “saved”. I had never heard anything like this in the Episcopal Church and felt I was just fine. I enjoyed the people at the Baptist church and the fellowship but I didn’t care for the preaching service and especially disliked the “invitation time”. As time pasted I was under great conviction each time the Pastor would give an invitation. My wife and the people of the church were praying for me and they knew if I continued coming and hearing the Word preached I would get saved. It took about six months of sitting under the preaching of God’s Word for me to accept that I was a sinner and I deserved Hell but Jesus Christ provided a way for me to be forgiven of my sin and to spend eternity in Heaven. In November 1978, I went forward in church, repented of my sin, and prayed to Jesus Christ and asked Him to save me. Jesus gave me that thing that had been missing in my life.
What my life is now like with Christ…
My life and the life of my family greatly changed after I trusted Christ as Savior. My entire life was centered on church; the Lord blessed by allowing me to be promoted to Assistant Chief and then to Fire Chief of the City. We took our children out of public school and sent them to Engleside Christian School; Carol started teaching at the school to offset the tuition cost. We eventually moved our Church membership to Engleside Baptist Church where I was privileged to serve as a Deacon and Sunday School Superintendent. In 1987, during a mission’s conference at church, we went forward and dedicated our life to serve the Lord however He wanted us to serve. I never expected the Lord to call me to fulltime service but shortly thereafter I realized He wanted me to give up my lifelong dream and retire as the City’s Fire Chief. I felt the Lord leading me to Pensacola, Florida to take college Bible classes and prepare for some kind of ministry. I applied at Pensacola Christian College (PCC) and also inquired about working for the college. Our daughter, Jame’, was a junior at PCC. Several days later I received an invitation to come for a job interview; I had peace about the Lord’s leading. We put our house up for sale the day Carol and I left for the job interview. During my interview with the college president, he asked if I would be willing to come as his administrative assistant, something I never expected. He asked us to go home and pray about it. We called home that evening and found out our house had sold and they had a backup contract. Several days later we accepted the position with the college. I resigned my position of Fire Chief in May 1987 and we moved to Pensacola in June. I had the blessing of serving the Lord and PCC for the next 21 years. I retired from PCC in May 2008; my wife and I recently joined Pine Forest Estates Baptist Church where we are excited about serving the Lord.
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