The year was about 1957, I was 12 years old. My mom drug us kids to church every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night services. And if there was a revival, we went to that, till it was over, which usually lasted 3 or 4 days. I was raised penecostal, Assembly of God, denomination. I saw people speak in tougues, jump over church pews, and the holy spirit descend on the little country church, with healings. Once witnessed a man with one eye, that could read out of the eye that was glass. He demonstrated it while reading a passage out of the Bible, and covering the good eye, that he had a patch on it, then covering it with a handkerchief, so he could not see out of the good eye. I`m telling of this to give you an idea, how I was raised, and what happened to me, and how God watches over little ones.
It was a hot summer day in August, and a bunch of my friends, decided to go skinny dipping in a cow pond, up on what is called turkey mountain hill. Now these friends of mine were your regular rough type of kids, smoked cigaretts, cussed, etc. Two of the four were preachers, kids. (your know what they say about preachers kids, there alway the worst) :-D
The other two were local boys that I went to school with, that lived nearby.
Anyhow, we had planned this venture, a few days before Saturday, the day school was out for the weekend. Saturday had arrived and I had to lie, to my mom that we were going bike riding to turkey mountain, for fun. My mom was hesitant, but dad said to let me go, cause I had to grow up sometime. Well mom said it was ok with her as long as I wasn`t around any water. I lied to her and said that there wouldn`t be.
At the water hole, we boys stripped off and jumped into the muddy cow pond. Now I was the only one that didn`t know how to swim, so the other guys had me to stay in the shallow end of the pond, on an old tire inner tube. We were all having fun, when all of a sudden, I realized that the inner tube had floated out to the deep part of the muddy pond, and at that time, a weird expression cam across Billy`s face as he dove off the impromt diving board and knocked me off the tube, in the deep, dark, muddy water. I paniced and went straight down, like a brick. I could hear them screaming and diving in the water as they searched for me, but the water was so muddy that they could not find me. They came so close many time that I could feel the wake of the water push me as they missed me by mere inches.
I went straight to the bottom and could feel the soft mud, between my toes. I pushed off as hard as I could and resurfaced. They saw me and dove in after me again and again. each time missing me by mere inches.
The third time that I sunk, I didn`t make it to the top. I stopped about 5ft from the surface, and couldn`t go anyfurther. There I was, 12 years old. And all I could think about, was the lie I had told my mom. I visioned, everybody at the funeral, and my mom crying with grief, cause I was dead, and I was very embarrased, for lying to her. All I could think about was the grief I was going to give her for me drowning.
I opened my eye`s and couldn`t see past 2 feet, it was very murky. All of a sudden, I prayed to Jesus, that he save me from drowning and don`t let my mom go through the grief. All of a sudden, I got this very warm feeling, one like a blanket of pure warm love wraped around my little body. I was surprized that I didn`t need air, infact, I was just in a state of suspension, No fear, it had left me, a warm feeling of great love. When right in front of my face, a white hand appeared. A human shaped hand with 4 fingers and a thumb, but pure white, like a piece of typing paper, only whiter. I grabbed on to the hand, and the funning thing was, I felt no pressure, like if someone grabbed me back, they would squeeze my hand in return. No it was a hand that I grabbed ok, except it pulled me to the top of the water right next to the pond bank. (now remember, I had been in the middle of the pond). As I was being pulled to the surface, I felt the water rushing passed my face and body, as though I was being sucked to the surface with great speed.
As I surfaced next to the bank, ( I was still in water over my head), Robert, one of the preacher boys, grabbed me by the hair of the head, and pulled me out. I thanked him, and said (if it wasn`t for your hand, finding me in the water, I would have drowned). He looked at me, as the other guy`s were-- with great surprize, and said, ( we gave you up for dead). We couldn`t find you so we were all on the bank.
Well it was a very solume ride back home. Not a word was spoken. I never missed a church meeting after that. No,-- I never told my mom about it. She`s in heaven now, have been for the last 8 years, and she is hearing about the story now, as I`m telling you.
This is my witness story to everybody, that doesn`t believe in God, and I never go or visit a new church, that I don`t tell this true story.
God Bless
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