Faith Stories
Why are you a Christian?
What brought you to this point in your faith and what is it about your life, that makes you believe?
What brings you to Forbes and keeps you involved?
Why do you support Forbes through your talents, energy and finances?
Tell us your story and inspire others to celebrate their faith-based prospective on the importance of Forbes and the United Methodist Church in their life.
Starting in January we invite you as an individual or family to step out of your comfort zone and tell others how God has been there for you. You can share it during the Offertory Moment as planned with the Worship Committee or it can be celebrated in the monthly newsletter – The Messenger.
Don’t be afraid to tell others what came to be when you believed and put it into God’s hands. It doesn’t have to be an earth shaking event, but rather a daily event that came together or a stressful time you handle with surprising ease.
Talk with Pastor Karen if you have questions regarding this request. God Bless…
Faith Story, March 22, 2020
It was mid-November of 2003 when I received a call offering me a position in the
U.S. Border Patrol. This started a journey for me that I had no idea where it would
lead. A short couple weeks later, I was on a Greyhound bus heading to Marfa,
Texas, leaving my family and everything I knew behind. A couple days later, I
was in South Carolina at the USBP Academy in Charleston. After a few busy
weeks, I twisted my knee when I stepped on a large rock during one of our training
runs. The next week during another run, I felt a sudden, sharp pain in my knee.
An MRI confirmed I had a vertical fracture of my left Tibia, the big bone in your
lower leg, my Academy days were done for now. I had to return home the week of
Christmas to heal and get ready to make another attempt at the Academy.
It was the day before Valentine’s Day when I left home again on the Greyhound
for Marfa. I had to return to start working at the Sector Headquarters while I
waited for my return to the Academy. The expected day of my return to the
Academy was of all days, my birthday. I rented a little 200 square foot studio by
the week. I borrowed a bicycle from a co-worker to ride to work and to get around
town. I ate cereal, sandwiches, microwave, and one pot meals for the next 3
weeks. Then it was off to the Academy again, to start all over, this time with a
recently healed broken leg.
I met my new roommate, David from south Texas, and learned he had done
this 3 times, suffering injuries, going home, recovering, and returning to the
Academy. He was committed and dedicated to earning his Border Patrol badge.
We got along well and became friends. On Saturday, after the first week he asked
me what I was doing tomorrow. I said homework and maybe just a little relaxing.
He asked, do you want to go to church with me in the morning? He said it was a
little start-up Baptist church over the bridge in Mount Pleasant. I said sure, why
not, I’m Methodist but it can’t hurt too much.
Sunday morning, we caught a cab to get to the church. It resembled a
converted store front or bank type building, not a church. The building needed
work and showed the effects of being near the ocean on the outside with peeling
paint and broken gutters. Inside it was clean and serviceable. The Service was
lively and enjoyable in the large open room. A small 3 or 4 piece band played and
the words are projected onto a white screen in the front. There were no hymnals or
pew Bibles. After service, fellowship is noisy and lively. People snack and talk, I
am invited back.
The next weekend, another service and I am invited to a shrimp boil the
following Saturday during which a little maintenance work will be done on the
church. David and I are offered the use of the church 15 passenger van to get back
and forth so we don’t have to use a cab every time. We are allowed to use the van
to make runs off base to shop and such. Over the next couple weeks, we take other
classmates with us charging $2 per person to cover gas and maintenance. We
replace the starter, the muffler, and fix a few other things with the money. The
remainder goes to the church offering. Each Sunday, the number of our classmates
going to service grows. We become a fellowship of our own at the Academy,
supporting each other through the stress and sharing our trials and stories. The
weeks go by quickly. The week of Graduation, the church held a big celebration
for us. It was July and we were ready to go out across the country to our stations.
We were leaving on Friday, this would be our final weekend with our new friends.
We were welcomed back anytime we were in the Charleston area.
I have come to realize that attending this church, far from home and among
strangers, was just what I needed. God had provided for me in a way I had never
expected. He had provided a way for me to feel supported, meet new people, and
look beyond the trials in front of me to something more enjoyable. He had
relieved my stress, made me feel welcome, and provided an outlet for my fears.
God had lifted me up, and delivered me through the most difficult 20 weeks of my
life. All I had to do was pray and have a little Faith.
Praise be to God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.