I was born July 21, 1929. I have seen many changes in this world. Some good some not so good.
I was the first grandchild on my daddy’s side. There were eight children on Dad’s side and nine on my Mom’s side. I was very much loved on both sides of the family. I was not aware of this at the time.
Probably in about the 5th or 6th grade I had a girlfriend that was a Christian and the Lord had laid it on her heart that I should be born again. This was before WW II broke out.
I can’t remember a time when I did not know about Jesus. I guess Mom told me when I was too young to remember being told. I’m sure my parents were not born again. We did go to church.

Sometime later I woke up in the middle of the night. I wanted to be saved so I knelt by my bed and I heard “You are just too wicked to be saved” I agreed after all I had lied and said I was saved.
After that I lived a life of pretense. I sang in the choir. I had read my Bible for a long time, dated a boy that didn’t drink.
Now here I have to stop and tell you that there is a strong mental picture that I have that affected the rest of my life.
My brother had been given a BB gun and was allowed to shoot sparrows because they carry disease. He brought in a 3 baby sparrows. There was 3 of them that fit in his 2 cupped hands. They were so pitiful and so ugly! To this day I can feel the sting of tears behind my eyes and a strange ache in my heart. Their fragile naked bodies, their wings and feet. Big hands, bulging eyes, but not opened. Months opening and closing, begging for food.
I was saved late November 1950. Someone said we should savor our salvation, reliving our born again experience, over and over. I used to. I haven’t thought of it in detail for a long time.
I wasn’t sure if I was pregnant or not. My husband and I went to a revival meeting at First Baptist church in Mt. Pleasant. He agreed to please his sister and apologized to me. At first we had to sit in a little room then they put the church member in the choir seats and we got moved to the main sanctuary.
At that point I got the feeling this time might be different. I’d been searching for God for a long time. At one point I didn’t even believe there was a God.
The message was about judgment day and all the excuses that weren’t good enough.
I can no longer remember the question but I remember thinking. “A person would be a fool to go to hell for just not raising their hand.” I remember thinking “as soon as I see someone even start I will go.” I couldn’t speak to anyone or I will be held back. “Fighting my way to the front and grabbed the outstretched hand as one does when drowning.

My God cares about a sparrow and I’m worth more than a sparrow. In my mind’s eye I saw the 3 baby sparrows. Mrs. Riggs must have gone over the plan of salvation at least 4 times. Finally, she prayed and I heard her say “ I believe Virginia is saved. I just gave up. I thought to myself this is a nice lady. I will just pretend I’m saved, live my life, die and go to hell. Suddenly, I got so mad, I made up my mind that when I stood before God at the judgment I was going to tell him off. “I did my part I know Jesus is your Son I believe Jesus died for my sins and if I’m not saved it’s your fault and not mine!” Somewhere before I could finish I was gloriously saved. I was encircled by a bright light-after all those years of darkness.

The lady did one more thing that has served me well. She said her husband would ask me on the way out if I was saved and how did I know. My answer: because Jesus paid it all! It made Pete Riggs mad to preach his heart out and then few people to not get saved!

I was in the hospital and saw a picture on the TV that affected me. I had a pain in my heart. It was the sad emotion that I felt because my sin caused Jesus to die on the cross. He died for my sins and the only thing that hurts worse is knowing that there are so many lost souls that are going to be so disappointed. Please, you can be saved because Jesus paid it all.

May we all be blessed to be a blessing.

Virginia McTee