ON SECOND CHANCES CONTINUED...

A continuation from yesterday’s blog. If you have the time, take a moment and read that one first.

1987 was the “turn around” year for my wife and I.  We both had been working secular jobs and found ourselves at a crossroads, and "Thank God", we chose the right path.  That path has led us to where we are today and now we wouldn’t trade our life for anything!

During the Special Meetings at Pastor Oliver’s church in Old Town, Maine I renewed my consecration to the Lord and to follow the “first calling” that God had placed on my life in 1977. In some ways I think the two week revival in Old Town was more for me than anyone else.  There were so many things that happened in those meetings, but one event stands out in my memory.  It was about mid-week in the first week and during the night service that a lady came to the front for prayer. She explained that she had suffered much pain in her arm and shoulder and the doctors felt it necessary to operate and to remove part of a bone that was causing so much pain. They had warned her that she perhaps would lose the use of that arm. She went on to say that after the operation, she had indeed lost total use of the arm. We could see that it hung loosely to her side with seemingly no life.

The anointing of God’s Spirit was very strong that night and the faith level was very high. We prayed for her as she raised her good arm to the Lord! The following night she came to church and once again I called her to the front and Pastor Oliver and I prayed for her healing. Still no change.  Each night we prayed for her and then on the last night I was sitting on the platform as the service began. As I was looking over the crowd, I noticed this same lady. She was wearing the most beautiful smile and it caught my attention. Then I saw it! She had BOTH of her arms straight up in the air praising God. I waited for my opportunity and I asked her to come to the front. I said, “Something has happened to you since last night!” She said, “Yes there has!” She proceeded to tell us that when she went home the night before, she was in her kitchen and all of a sudden there was a “SNAP” in her shoulder. And ever since then she had full use of her arm! The church erupted into praise and worship. That was the night that Pastor Oliver asked if I would like to continue meetings for a second week.

It was during the second week that I wondered what I would do after this. Pastor Oliver suggested to me that I should book more meetings and continue this renewed path. So that week, with his help, we began to call Pastors. Before I knew it, I had special meetings booked all the way through until the end of May! I was thrilled.  Esther came over during the second week and joined me with her accordion and special singing. It was marvellous!!  God surely was doing a “NEW” thing!

Well, upon arriving home to Westfield, New Brunswick, I made plans to sell the Town and Country News to one of my advertisers who had said if I ever decided to sell the business to give her first option. She bought it and it was like a heavy burden had lifted! I continued to fulfill the special meetings that I had booked. We found ourselves in a rural country church in Four Fall, New Brunswick in the month of May. Strangely enough, it was the last set of meetings that we had booked and it seemed that we couldn’t get any more places to minister. I started to feel a little anxious and one morning I began to share my story with Pastor Perley Hatheway. He said, “Well, it could be that the Lord has another plan.” I wondered what it could be.

The Hatheways invited me to go to Fredericton with them the next morning. On the way, Pastor Hatheway happened to mention a place called Springfield which is located just north of Fredericton near the Mactaquac Dam. I had never heard of the place. Sister Hatheway said, “They don’t have a Pastor right now in the little Springfield Pentecostal Church.” Then she continued to say, “I think Hubert Perkins is looking after the work as an interim Pastor until they can find one.” As she talked, something jumped in my spirit!

Springfield Pentecostal Church

Now here’s the neat thing! When we arrived in Fredericton that day, we went to the shopping center first. I believe it was K-Mart on Smythe Street. And just as we walked through the doors, the Hatheways met another couple that were just leaving. Their names were Irving and Grace Reed. They lived in Springfield and attended the Pentecostal Church! Pastor Hatheway introduced me to them and said, “This is interesting....we were just talking about the little church in Springfield.”  As we went back to Four Falls we drove through the community of Springfield and I saw the little church for the very first time.

Well, to make a long story short, we made connections with Pastor George Clark and Brother Hubert Perkins who were looking after the work in Springfield. Those men became, and still are, two of my most cherished friends! I will share more about my connections with Brother Clark a little later. What a great Man of God!!

Springfield, New Brunswick

One thing led to another and within just a few weeks we were loading a U-Haul and moving into the Parsonage in Springfield, New Brunswick.  What a nice country community! And what an awesome church! The people there treated us like a King and Queen! They were so good to the Roaches!  We still have many wonderful friends connected to that church and we cherish the three and a half years we spent with them. May God continue to bless the Springfield Pentecostal Church!

When I think back on how God planned everything and strategically placed us where he wanted us, we cannot help but rejoice in the Lord for His Amazing Grace!!

We serve a God of second chances!!  SRR

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don’t let anyone else hold the pen.