Christian Article Bank

My Personal Testimony

by
Josprel

Although I was brought up in a Christian home, I abandoned the Lord at a very young age - thirteen-years-old. My parents struggled to get me to attend church, but nothing availed. Though I did not drift into deep sin, I did sin. God, however, does not color sin in shades of black, white or gray. To Him sin is sin, period.

Upon completing school at age seventeen, I went to enlist in the Air Force. However, because of my young age, the recruiter informed me that one of my parents was required to sign for my enlistment. This my they refused to do, until I threatened to leave home and never return. Dad signed; if he hadn't, I no doubt would have followed through with my threat.

I spent three years - two and one half of them overseas - in the Air Force, serving as an operating engineer, trained to operated heavy construction equipment, such as bull-dozers, road-graders, heavy cranes, heavy engineering vehicles, C2 crash-truck-cranes - used to lift and haul away crashed aircraft - and most of the other types of heavy construction equipment. By my eighteenth birthday, I had attained the rank of engineering sergeant.

During my time in the Air Force, I attended chapel service only once - for the funeral service of a buddy who committed suicide while on duty. His fiancé had written him a “Dear John letter,” saying she was pregnant and was going to marry the man who was the father of her child. My buddy killed himself by stealing a jeep and - traveling at floorboard speed - intentionally rolled the vehicle over. He died instantly. Even this didn't move me toward the Lord.

When my time finally came for discharge, I was offered additional promotion if I would agree to re-enlist. I refused, arriving home at twenty years of age, still unsaved.

At home, I took employment in my field as an operating-engineer. It was an extremely well paying, respected job in civilian life, and I felt I had "the world by the tail." At night I went out with my buddies, though I did not drink heavily and carouse as they did. I was flush with money, drove a late-model Chrysler, dated pretty girls, and partied or traveled on weekends.

Then, one night about three A. M., I arrived home with a feeling of futility to my life. My parents were asleep, as were my two brothers and two sisters. I entered the parlor, closed the door and fell to my knees. At that point in my life, I wanted to doubt the existence of God, but never really could. I couldn’t honestly deny that the order I saw in creation meant there had to be an astounding mind behind it all. There in the parlor, with tears flowing down my cheeks, I shook my fist heavenward saying, "God, if you're really there, prove it to me!" The challenge had barely passed my lips, when just like in the Book of Acts, what seemed like a great wind rushed through the room. It seemed to come from the top corner to my left and it knocked me to the floor and held me there. When I attempted to get up, it pushed me back down. Terrified and trembling, I literally could feel the "wind" pinning me to the floor. Pushing against it with both palms, I pleaded, "Let me up! Let me up!" Disregarding my plea, it held me there.

My youngest brother, who was serving the Lord and now also is a minister, heard the thud when I fell to the floor. He rushed from bed, into the room to see what had happened. Noticing me - unable to sit up and seemingly pushing against empty air with both palms, he awoke my parents, who came rushing into the room and began praying for me.

Now in a cold sweat, I asked, "Mom, what's happening to me?"

I'll never forget her response: "Joe, you mean to say you have lived in a Christian family all these years, and you don't know what happening to you?"

I knew!

My parents' prayers were being answered, but not in the way they had expected. Their oldest son had foolishly challenged God to prove His existence and God did so in a terrifying manner. Finally, the presence released me, and weakly, I staggered to my bed.

The next morning, I knelt before God by the side of my bed, and without speaking audibly, I requested that if He wanted to use me in the ministry, to have some one call me go to a service to sing (Since I come from a family of musicians, I love to sing.) That evening, I received a phone call from a man - a minister's son - I had not seen since I stopped attending church at age thirteen. He said he was speaking at a mission and needed someone to sing for him. He asked if I would do so. I was flabbergasted, but I agreed. However. I still was skeptical as to why he had called.

“Mom, did you ask John to call me to go to the mission with him?” I inquired.

“Joe, how could I know before this that he’s going to the mission? Of course I didn’t call him,” Mom replied.

I really knew she couldn't have done so, since only God and I knew what I ask Him to do. I had prayed silently in my room, alone with the door closed; only God could have heard my prayer.

Well, that did it for me! One month later, even though I was born again such a short time, the school of my choice waived its requirement that an applicant had to be saved for at least two years before being accepted for ministerial studies, my application to attend under the G.I. Bill of Rights was accepted. I also needed recommendations from three pastors. I asked three who knew my parents. When I explained my salvation experience to them, they agreed to recommend me.

I now hold a master of theology degree and have never regretted my decision to follow God’s will for my life. My life in Him has been significantly more fulfilling and adventurous than anything the world could have offered me. It was on a church bus, traveling to a youth rally in another town, that I met my wife, Maria, who has known the Lord since early childhood. Throughout our ministry together, she has been God’s gift to me and to our congregations – supervising the church schools, the childrens’ churches, the church nurseries, the musicians, the kids’ evangelistic crusades, and much else. When the Lord presents His workers their star-studded crowns, Maria’s is certain to be entirely covered with soul winner’s stars.

I thank the Lord for pinning me to that floor that terrifying night, so many years ago. I also thank Him for answering my secret prayer request. It began for me a spiritual adventure I have never regretted and one I am still enjoying.

 © Josprel (Joseph Perrello)
josprel@verizon.net

About the Author:

I knelt before God by the side of my bed, and without speaking audibly, I requested that if God wanted to use me in the ministry, that He have some one call me go to a service to sing (Since I come from a family of musicians, I love to sing.) That evening, I received a phone call from a man - a minister's son - I had not seen since I stopped attending church at age thirteen. He said he was speaking at a mission and needed someone to sing for him. He asked if I would do so. I thank the Lord for answering that secret prayer request. It began a spiritual adventure that I have never regretted and one I am still enjoying.