Alva Review-Courier -

When I was a kid, my dad sang in a gospel trio with some friends from our church in Colorado Springs. At first, they sang on Sunday mornings and other church events but they eventually ended up singing at other events associated with our larger church organization. This then led to the start of traveling to sing at other churches. By the time they decided to finish this part of their lives, they had sung all over the Midwest with the last tour lasting three months over five states.

I have some great memories from that trip; memories I hope I never forget. One night in south Texas (this is so vivid in my mind as I write this), we stayed at a campground all by ourselves. We had the whole place to do whatever we wanted, so we decided to go swimming by moonlight. Keep in mind that I’m 4 or 5 years old this summer and had no fear. I ended up climbing to the top of the high, high, dive platform like they use in the Olympics, and I called out to my dad. This, of course, confused him because of where my voice came from, but I finally got his attention. I remember touching the bottom of that pool. What a crazy day that was. This was the same summer I first met my wife. Like I said, we were like 4 or 5 and we even stayed at their house. Neither of us remembered this until my dad told us about it sometime while we were dating in college. But really this isn’t the point. Well, maybe it is; you’ll see.

The thing I remember the most from the time my dad was in this group was learning about faith and trust. This group was basically made of two families that sacrificed tremendously to follow the Lord’s leading. My dad and the other two members of the group all had regular jobs they had to keep in order to pay for their mortgage and keep up on the regular bills and expenses of life. This gospel singing group was a true blessing to those that heard them. They spoke of the struggles of life but also the fact that they knew that the Lord would never leave them or forsake them. (Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV.)

My dad’s group made one record. It was titled, “By Faith and Nothing Else.” Here is the chorus of this song: “We've come this far by faith, Leaning on the LORD. Trusting in His Holy Word, He’s never failed us yet. Oh, Oh, Oh, We can’t turn back, We've come this far by faith.” I had the privilege of seeing this lived out right in front of me. I will never forget this. I am so grateful for the fact that I had such a great example to see and feel and experience. I truly hope I have lived the same way for my family. I had the chance to go to a very prestigious music college on the east coast. I’m pretty sure that if I would have done that, I wouldn’t be writing this for you or living here in Alva. It almost scares me to think about the fact that I wouldn’t have married my wonderful wife and had my precious children and now grandchildren. Thank you, Lord, for leading me to Barclay College and to the woman who stands by my side today. I am so very very thankful I had faith lived out before me and that the Lord never left me.

No matter what you are going through right now, hold on to Jesus and let Him carry you through this trying time. Remember that not everything we see is reality. We must depend on the Lord and trust His Word now more than ever.

“For we live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).