 .... Hello everyone, for those of you who don't know me, my name is Jerry Foster; I am originally from a small town in NM. This is my testimony; the story of my Salvation, and where I am in my life right now. Thanks for reading it. My life started January 17, 1965, at 5:55am in Gerald Champion Memorial Hospital in Alamagordo, NM. I am the oldest child of Jerry and Olene Foster. Now I don't remember exactly when my dad decided to be a preacher, but I do remember growing up in the church. While my dad was between preaching assignments we attended Emmanuel Baptist Church, Bro. Jim Green was the pastor. I remember going to RA's and all the church functions, and having grown up in the church and watching my dad at the rip old age of 8 I ask god to come into my life and save me. I at that time also gave my surrendered my life to Christ, hoping someday to become a pastor like my dad. Now I continued in the church thru my teen years, up to about age 18, thru High School I supplied as a song leader in my church and other area small churches. I continued doing this up until about my junior year of college. I then met my first wife, we dated a while and after about 6 months we decided to get married. Long story there. Anyway while dating her and in the process of the first months of marriage I got into an argument with my pastor at the time telling him I new more about music and what songs we needed on Sunday, so I was asked to step down. I did this, but not very gracefully, I completely walked away deciding that my wife and I could forge a better life if I were to work more and quit school, well this went on for ten long years, all the while I was getting further and further away from the lord. About 7 years into the marriage, the best friend I have ever had was killed in and accident between Portales and Carlsbad, she was a teacher in Carlsbad and had come home on that weekend to see me and help me out as I was having trouble in my marriage, now this shouldn't surprise any of us, I was so far away from god, I believe he was trying to get my attention, asking me to lean on him. Well after the funeral was over, at the graveside service, and after singing a song this woman and I had sang many times in church I looked to the skies and shouted Lord if you are there I will never, ever sing for you again, you have taken the one true light of my life, the best friend I have ever had away. I walk away....... I did just that, I walked away. Now about three years later, my marriage is completely beyond any fixing, my wife decides she has had enough, she leaves me. I again am devastated. I go into a shell even deeper away from all my friends and family. I start to take long walks all by myself, after work and on the weekends, about six months after the divorce I try to take my life by walking out in front of a semi-truck on the highway, now I don't know about you but what happens next really got my attention, as I am stepping out in front of a truck that is going about 60 miles an hour I am jerked back so violently that I fall to my backside and onto my back and I am looking up at the sky. I jump up, and begin to look around, there is no one there, nothing, zip, zero, not one single solitary person, I begin to cry, and for the first time in years I begin to pray, god what is it, what do you want from me, I am miserable, just let me come home, and there is no answer, but I feel like a ton of weigh has been lifted off of me. With tears in my eyes, I walk back home, sit down with my mom and tell her what has happened. Now the story doesn't end here, no, not for me, as you see I am very stubborn, and don't like easy lessons. You see I just sort of muddle thru everything only doing things half-hearted, even my service to the lord is not where it should be. I start going to bars to "dance", yeah that is the word, "Dance". Just where every Christian should be in a bar, well as you can guess I turn to alcohol to help me get thru the pain of divorce and daily disappointments of my life, and where I am. I looked back on more than one occasion and was just disgusted with how far I had fallen, but instead of me picking myself up and dusting off and getting back into the game I sank deeper and deeper into this self-indulgent dream world of alcohol and partying. Well as you can guess I became a great drinker, up to about $100.00 a night all by myself on occasion, not a pretty sight. Yet I was just sure that this was the way to handle it. Then on June 20, 2000 I was arrested for a DWI, hey I just knew I would never get caught, I was a Christian just out looking for some fun. God would protect me, right? Wrong, I wasn't doing his work, in fact I was making him look bad by my actions, well that night in that jail cell I prayed to the Lord, I said, "God I know you are there and you can hear me, I am so sorry please forgive me for all that I have done, everything that was not what a Christian should do, and lord I know it is a bit much but would you please help me out here, get me back on my feet. I am tired of fighting with you god, I will do what ever you want me to, go wherever you want and I will serve you. Well I had to stay the night, I sat there most of the night in a stupor, yet I was thinking, thank you god for what you have done for me, you stopped me before I killed someone, and before I hurt myself, you are a great and merciful lord. I couldn't wait to get out and tell everyone I that I was going to do what god wanted. Well you see that was two years ago, I have since moved to Wyoming serve in a great little Church, helped with the singing, even so far as to sing specials, (all by myself), and lead the Christmas program. All this from a man who about 7 years ago told God that he would never sing for him again, Man what a god, He never ever turned his back on me, ever, he was always there waiting for me to just ask for help, even when I was being a stumbling block to who know how many people, my god was right there looking out for me. And you see this is all because a little boy who was so impressed with his father here on earth that he wanted to become a Christian and serve a lord that forgives. Well here I am 2 years and 2 months removed from the most horrible and the absolute best thing that ever happened to me, My rededicating of my life to him, in a jail cell, after having been arrested for DWI, now if god can love me, give me a second chance don't you think he can love you? I know he can, and he is there waiting for you.
Thank you, 
 |
