Religion and my childhood did not walk hand in hand. My father claimed to be an atheist and my mother always said she belonged to the round church where the devil couldn’t corner her. I remember I always laughed at that statement as I visualized a cartoon red suited devil running around with a pitch fork trying to get her. Oh how very little I knew yet through it all I had a belief in a God I didn’t know or understand.
Around the age of 8 I became aware of “A Psalm of David.” We did not have a Bible in our house so I did not learn it at home. I recall going to church only a few times with neighbors and yet somehow I came to memorize Psalm 23. The words spoke volumes to a frightened and lonely little girl, God seeking a young soul. One verse always stood out for me: surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. I did not understand what all the verses meant living in the environment that I did but I said that prayer every night and fell asleep a little less afraid of a world of which I could not make sense.
There was much to be frightened of and much I did not understand. Once in an alcoholic rage my father shot three holes in our kitchen ceiling. I Praise the Lord that no one was physically harmed. The verse, “yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil,” began to have meaning to me as I came to realize that God’s goodness and mercy were with me. I was frequently left home alone and living in a rural community without supervision. The risks were compounded by my very adventurous nature. The possible dangers were everywhere - barns to play in, swinging from the hay lofts, woods to go exploring in, frozen ponds to be tested, etc. There was adventure after adventure in a little girls imagination. All of it under God’s watch. God was always watching over me and keeping me out of harm’s way.
I share this glimpse into my childhood not for any self-indulgence, children have suffered far worse childhoods than mine. I just want to share with you how God introduced Himself to me at a very young age. I did not grasp all that that meant but I knew He was real and He was out there somewhere waiting for me to come to Him. Far from that frightened little girl who years ago memorized a Bible verse, God has brought me a long way. His goodness and mercy followed me all the days of my life and now I know I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Through His Son Christ Jesus I have found salvation. May God Bless you each and everyone and may Psalm 23 bring comfort to you as it has to me, it has brought me through many of life’s storms Praise the Lord!
Copyright © August, 2007 – Emily Schwefferman. All rights reserved.
