Putter's Testimony

Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (KJV)

I was saved on Dec. 28,1975. Isa. 64:6 was the verse that was instrumental in my salvation. I had watched Dave transform into a ‘new creature’ after his salvation and wanted what he had found. The one thing that stood in my way was my ‘righteousness’ (pride). I had always been a ‘good’ little girl, grew up into a ‘good’ teenager and unfolded into a ‘good’ wife. I was brought up in a moral and religious home. We were taught that God was the Almighty One and if we were ‘good’ we would make it to heaven; we had the ‘balance scale’ idea of religion: if our good out weighed our bad we would make it to heaven. After awhile, I began to believe it. Having never done anything ‘really bad’ I figured I was ok with God.

The only gospel message I remember ever hearing was a sign on a closed up mission. It was a cross that had Jesus saves written on it. I used to wonder what that meant, Jesus saves. Then in 1973 Dave and I started attending a small Bible Church. There for the first time I heard sermons from the Bible and began to realize I was not ok with God. After a few months of attending this church Dave was saved and I made a ‘profession’ of faith. We were baptized together shortly thereafter. Two years later the Lord led us to another church and by this time I was having many doubts about my salvation experience.

I saw such a change in Dave at the time of his conversion, but experienced no change in my own life. I had never admitted that I was a sinner. Repentance was unheard of and not needed for me; after all what had I ever done that was so terrible to separate me from God. My pride kept me from coming to the Lord for two very long and miserable years.

When I heard a message from Isa. 64:6 the Holy Spirit put His finger on my heart and finally got through my pride. I suddenly realized that even though I thought I was a good, moral, person I still needed to be saved for all my righteousness was as filthy rags. When I tried to measure up to God’s righteousness I fell short. How does one know what God’s righteousness is? The ten commandments is a good place to start: Ga 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. I was a sinner in need of a Savior.

When I finally came to this realization, Dave had been made a deacon. I felt like I had waited too long and had just committed spiritual suicide. Now I needed to wait until Dave got off the deacon board before I could get saved because a deacon’s family needed to be in order just like the Pastor’s family. It would not be right for a deacon’s wife to get saved. She should already be saved. This crazy thinking went on for a few months. Even though I was not thinking straight the Lord kept working on me and bringing me under conviction that I need to be saved. Sunday evening service, Dec. 28, 1975, I knew if I did not get saved that night the Holy Spirit would no longer strive with me and I would never have another opportunity to get saved. It was then that I swallowed my pride and admitted to the Lord that I was not saved and needed to be saved. That moment I repented of my sins and asked Him to be my Lord and Savior. I was told later that it was far better for a deacon’s wife to be saved than for a deacon’s wife to go to hell. Funny, the Devil never told me that last part!

My favorite hymn is AT CALVARY. I call this my testimony hymn.

Our Family:

Dave and I were married on Nov. 20, 1966. Dave was my first ‘real’ boyfriend, the only one I ever ‘went steady’ with. When he gave me his school ring, he said I was to keep it until he gave me the ‘real’ ring. I did, and he did. When he asked my Dad if he could marry me my Dad asked him a very interesting question. Daddy said, “Well, son, do you like her?” Dave said, “Joe, I just asked to marry her, I love her.” Daddy answered, “Yeah, what I see in your eyes will wear off in about a year, but if you like her, really like her, you two will make it.” Dave smiled and replied, “I like her a lot.” (Another word of advice Daddy gave Dave was: one day you will come home and she will be crying. You will ask her what is wrong, why is she crying and she will say, she doesn’t know why and she won’t, so just hold her and she will be all right. I guess having a wife and raising three girls of his own gave Daddy some insight to women!) I would like to tell you that my Prince Charming sped me away on his white steed to our castle in the forest where we lived happily ever after - yeah right! My Prince Charming’s steed turned out to be a U-Haul. We moved so much that when a U-Haul goes by our house the furniture trembles, but when one factors in life, PMS, menopause, everyday living, it really has been happily ever after. I would not trade the life of being Mrs. David Nace Weeks for anything. It really has been a wonderful life.

We have been blessed with six children: Angie, Rachel, Sarah, Mary Beth, David and Jessica. When I say we are blessed I mean we are blessed. The word blessed indicates something that only God can do and our family was something only God could do. As a young married couple we were told we had a one in a million chance to ever have a child. If by some miracle we did have a child (or two) we would have girls.

Unknown to us (and the doctor) I was already expecting our first daughter when we received this diagnosis. We knew we had our miracle baby and were so thankful. We were even more thrilled when she was three months old and we were expecting our second daughter. Imagine our surprise five years later when our third daughter was born. Four years later when we were expecting our fourth daughter we changed doctors!

One thing the doctor was right about was that we had all girls. . .until Christmas day of 1981. All of our children were precious gifts from God, but the Lord wanted us to know that He was still in control. David was born on 12/25 at 12:25.

One would have thought our quiver was full, but the Lord gave us our fifth daughter eighteen months after David. She was our only red head and just like the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae makes it complete, Jessica completed our family.

Our children are grown up now and serving the Lord through their local churches with the talents He has given them. The girls are married and so far have blessed us with many grand children (with more promised). David is engaged and will be married Jan. 2008. Our quiver is still getting full, but there is always room for more!