MY GIDEON NEW TESTAMENT
During my time of service overseas I had a lot of time to think about my life and what I would do with it after I was discharged from the service. I read my little Gideons New Testament and Psalms which I carried in my shirt pocket, reading among others these favorite passages: Psalms 91, 34, 17, 118: 6 ; Romans 8 and 11:13; and I Corinthians 10:15. I prayed and prayed. One evening I went out in the dark alone and fell on my knees and prayed. I asked God to show me what I should do with my life. When I opened my eyes I saw a beam of light in the sky. Was it a vision? No, it was an ordinary beacon light! I guess it was then that I decided that God was not going to speak to me in a miraculous way and tell me which road to take. I came to the conclusion that, for me, God would guide me through the opening and closing of doors of opportunity. I knew I wanted to give my life totally to His service, but did not know how.
After being wounded on April 17, 1945 I felt that God had spared my life for a purpose. I was ready to serve him in any way that he directed. I was very anxious to continue my education at Maryville College. I knew that the second semester started in February, 1946, so I decided that if I were discharged in time to enroll for that semester I would redirect my studies toward preparing for the Gospel ministry. My discharge was January 10, 1946. I went back home to Meridian and burned all of the papers I had collected toward my goal to be a business man and enrolled in Maryville College for the second semester with a switch from Economics as a major to Social Studies. The Military experience turned my life around.
So ends my military story.
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