One of my earliest memories is being a flower girl at a wedding when I was three. I hardly slept the night before, anticipating donning the green velvet-and-chiffon hooped dress. Little did I know that Rosemary, the other flower girl, awaited me.
My Mom took Rosemary and me to the magnificent church before the ceremony to pray. With my Mom on my right and Rosemary to my left, I knelt erect on the kneeling bench with head bowed and hands folded in prayer.
Rosemary turned out to be a little “devil.” She kicked my ankle relentlessly, trying to get me to cry out or fight in church. I resisted and continued in my prayer posture, suffering the onslaught, my white-lace ankle socks taking on deep red spots from the wounds, and my new patent-leather shoes wearing the scuff marks of my tormentor. I wanted to please God more than anything, and I would not so much as talk in church, as I was taught.
Yes, I was a religious kid. In first grade, I won a drawing for a beautiful picture book of Jesus. I treasured it dearly. In the fourth grade, our teacher taught us The Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” That rang true in my heart and quickened my thirst for truth. I soon told Jesus that I wanted to follow Him, which was my ten-year-old way of making Him my Lord.
I tried so hard not to sin, but failed miserably. By age 11, I thought, “Since I’m going to hell anyway, I might as well have fun going.” That resolution marked a downhill plunge throughout my teenage years. I called myself an atheist by age 13, but realized everyone believes in something, and later began calling myself an agnostic.
By 16, I was deep in the world of alcohol and drugs, my mind filled with thoughts of suicide. I believe it was my mother’s prayers that kept me alive through those storm-tossed years of oblivion. At 18, I began to notice that some people were different, and I called them the Children of Light. I wanted what they had, but I didn’t know how to be free of the drugs that kept me bound in darkness and fear.
My Mom found me when I was 20 and gave me a Bible. I kept a list of things to do before I die, and “Read the Bible” was always at the top. So, I began to read the New Testament. The more I read, the more I craved learning. I read on the commute to work, on my lunch break, on line at the bank, on the commute home, and throughout the evening. For three months, I read and cried.
Could God really love me as He did the woman caught in adultery? I carried that Bible everywhere and cried at every miracle I read. It was as if the waves of my tears were pounding away the wall of hurt, anger, and fear I had built around my heart.
I read the promise of Jesus, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) A vision emerged in my mind’s eye – a big yellow and black “Dead End” sign. I knew that if I continued on the drug-laden path I was on, I would soon be dead. So, I prayed, “God, show me some people who endeavor to live according to the Bible, and not according to religion.”
A couple of weeks later, I learned of some missionary ladies who were running a Bible study in my hometown. I attended and heard the Word of God taught in a way I had never heard it before. Within a few years, I attended Bible College and received an Associate’s Degree in Theology.
Over four decades later, I continue to thank God for rescuing me from Satan’s prison of darkness. I thank God for bringing me into a relationship with the Lord Jesus. God’s mercy and grace have allowed me to see countless miracles as I have shared His Word with others.
As much as I’d like to say, “And we all lived happily ever after,” that’s not real life. I’ve weathered some bumps, but God always brings me through in His great mercy, love, and faithfulness. I cherish my husband, our daughter, our two sons, their wives, and our three grandchildren. I thank God every day for all His goodness and blessings.
Although I grew up in southern New York and my husband, Steve, grew up in southwestern Michigan, we fell in love with the people of Panama City and its white-sand beaches when we moved here in 1986. We now consider ourselves southerners and love the calmer lifestyle compared to the north. We enjoy hiking, boating, Bible study, and serving in our community.
Steve has been an entrepreneur since his father gave him a wagon of tomatoes to sell to their neighbors at the age of five. We started Daystar Cleaning & Restoration here in 1986, and I launched my business, Word Power Systems, in 2020. I wrote a book that year – The Secret To Health And Happiness: Gratitude Journal And Devotions on Amazon. I shared some of my trials and what I’ve learned about praising God with thanksgiving. I pray that it continues to inspire folks to intentionally thank God every day. My website is judyransom.com, and I can be reached at judy@judyransom.com.
How could God take a drugged-up lost soul like me and fill me with His Word of Life? How could He take my lifelong love of writing and work within me to share what He has taught me and continues to teach me? And why does He continue to teach me? Certainly not because of anything that I have done, and most certainly because of everything that He has done for me through Christ Jesus my Lord. I praise His Holy Name!
