Caleb's Testimony and Call to preach

I was saved by the grace of God at 12 years old. I had made a profession when I was younger but had never truly trusted Christ as my Savior. I would lay in bed and cry at night because I was afraid of what would happen if I died. I would ask my parents questions about eternity and what Heaven and Hell were like for the people who go there. Then at a Wednesday night prayer meeting at the Canaanland Baptist Church in Resaca, Ga., the Holy Spirt of God spoke to my heart and showed me that I was lost. The last song we sang in the choir was “I Can Tell You The Time.” The Pastor had asked one of the lay preachers in the church to preach that night, and the first words he said from the pulpit were, “I’m glad I can tell you the time when the Lord saved me!” As he said those words, God said in my heart, “There has never been a time when I saved you because you have never asked me to save you.” As the invitation was given, I told my Dad that I needed to be saved and thank God that night I DID ask Him to save me, and just as He promised he would, He did exactly that! No more crying and wondering what would happen at night, no more worrying about the difference between Heaven and Hell, just the sweet peace of the Holy Spirit and knowing that Heaven would be my eternal home! 

Six years later, on September 4, 2002, I stopped by Morningside Drive Baptist Church in Dalton, GA, after getting off work at 7 pm. I was 18 years old and had been running from the call to preach since I was 16. I clearly remember that night as I reached for the key to turn my truck off, God spoke to my heart, saying, “Tonight is your last chance to do what I want you to do.” As I turned the truck off and walked inside, I knew that I would either surrender to His will for my life or face the judgment of God as His wayward child.

As the preacher preached, it seemed he was preaching right at me. I knew I had a choice to make and that it would determine the course of the rest of my life. When the invitation was given, I walked to the altar, bowed, and told the Lord, “I cannot preach, but if You will help me, I will be the best preacher I can be for Your honor and glory.”

I never dreamed as an 18-year-old young man that that decision would lead to where it has. However, I can say that my only regret is not making that same decision two years earlier. God has been better to me than I deserve or could ever adequately tell. I praise His name for the privilege He has given me and my family to serve Him!