This testimony is the result of the faith and prayer of my mother-in-law for her son, my husband.
When we married, I knew nothing of the Message, except that his mother didn’t cut her hair and wore dresses all the time. I felt I was just as good of a Christian as she was, because I had been taught in the denomination that it was okay to cut my hair and to wear worldly clothing. I even said, “I’ll never step foot in that church” (hers), but thankfully, I said it in ignorance, and the Lord overlooked it, because like the apostle Paul, He had other plans for me.
Now my mother-in-law is a real believer. For over two years, she just lived that sweet humble life and was a real friend to me. She never criticized or tried to push anything on us, just answered some questions when we started to get thirsty. She finally felt led to give me the Church Ages Book and the tape, “When Love Projects.” I was a little bit afraid of that book, so it was gradually buried under a stack of magazines for several months.
In the meantime, we started to look for a new church, but had no idea that the Lord was drawing us to the Message of the hour. We did listen to part of the tape, but it didn’t mean much to us just yet. I started asking my husband questions about what his mother believed, which he couldn’t answer too well. His father did not believe the Message, so as a boy, he was not allowed to go to church with his mother. Finally he said to me, “I think if you want to know what my mom believes you should read that book she gave you.” I thought, “Well the Bible says I should obey my husband, so I guess I should read this book because he told me to.” I didn’t know it, but my husband had many unsettled questions himself. Having felt the pain of discord between and husband and wife because of the Message, he felt he could hardly bear it if we couldn’t stand together in our faith, so he was praying, “Lord, if this is the truth, please let my wife believe it.”
I started reading the Church Ages, and for about the first 60 pages, it just seemed so strange to me. Then we went to my parents’ church, where it seemed that everything that was said and done just pointed us back to truth of the Message. They applauded Jesus Christ, Billy Graham, and the pope, then the preacher misused Malachi 4:5-6 as a text on disciplining children. So much was revealed to us in that service. I remember telling my mother afterwards how Baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus is the correct way. I didn’t even realize myself that I had just received the revelation of it.
The following week, I couldn’t put that Church Ages Book down. Suddenly I was finding an answer to all my questions about serving God, and answers to questions I didn’t even know that I had. At the same time, I had planned to go get a haircut that week, and I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bring myself to put on a pair of pants, even in the house at home. I had one old jean skirt and I just kept wearing it all week. The makeup and the earrings just sat on the shelf too. I didn’t feel like wearing them anymore. One of the most amazing things was how different the prophet’s voice sounded to us now. It was the best preaching we had ever heard in our lives.
By Sunday, we were both ready to visit the believers. We went to church, sat down, and I knew we were home. We were baptized together a few days later on the evening of February 13th, 1985, so you can guess who was the happiest mother in the whole church!
In Christian Love,
Sister Linda