Earlier this month, my buddy Jim Hayslett, who co-wrote that last song on our CD decided to come the Nashville to get baptized. The song is titled “A Better Place”… It was originally titled “Alcohol” because that’s what Jim used to “self medicate” the pain of the last 12 years of his life. In recent years he’s had 8 family deaths, a divorce, all but lost his business, and watched several family members close friends desert him… and that’s just the cliff note version. Lot’s of trauma… and lot’s of alcohol. Anyway, he’s given his life to Christ and wanted to get baptized.
As lots of folks will attest, when you start walking towards God Satan will throw up road blocks… and, he really never stops. The week that Jim was due to come to Nashville he had worked 21 days straight… long hours, too. That week he got fired from his sub-contracting position, a pipe in his roof busted ruining his floor, he lost his ATM card, his AC went out… I could go on but I won’t. To his credit (or some might say foolishness) Jim stayed the course and decided to come to Nashville anyway. He was scheduled to be baptized on Monday, September 3. Late that week my pastor called and asked if Jim would like to be baptized earlier… on Saturday, September 1. Wanting to take advantage of the earlier date Jim said “yes.” That Saturday morning I found Jim on my patio… his eyes still wet with tears. He had just realized that the date and time of his baptism was EXACTLY 12 years to the day and time of his mother’s death. God is good.
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