James Shaw

How Jesus Changed My Life

My testimony is not all that exciting except JESUS saved me at the age of 28. You could say it all started with dinner and a movie.

I was not raised in a Christian family and had a rather dull childhood. Although my mother was very sweet, neither of my parents were Christians. In fact, my father was rather mean. I quit school in the 8th grade, and he ran me off from home when I was 15. I lived with my grandparents and drove one of my papa's trucks.

I started hanging around what we called the projects and met a 13-year-old girl named Phyllis. Both of her parent were really sweet people. We didn't even know what dating meant, but her dad would let us use his car to go to the movies and get a hamburger. We hung around together for a few months and decided to get married May 1, 1959. She was 14, and I was 17. Eleven months later we became parents when our daughter Kareen was born on June 30. I didn't even know how to be a husband, much less a father.

Eight years later we had a son, Trevor, and were expecting another child, Derek. During the pregnancy, Phyllis kept nagging me to go to church. Being kinda shy and a loner, I had no interest in going. In November, Phyllis told me God had blessed us so much we should go to church, but said she wasn't going to go without me so that if we all died, we would all go to hell together. I finally told her we would start going as a New Years resolution. It was just to get her off my back, but God had other plans.

I ended up in the hospital with an old friend, Doug Mosley, for a room mate. He was a new believer and wasn't ashamed of his new found love for Jesus. All he talked about was Jesus! I thought Phyllis was coming to see me while I was in the hospital, but all she wanted to do was hear that dude talk about Jesus. Some of his visitors, members from his home church - Gordon Street Baptist Church - invited us to their church.

Well, New Years got there in a hurry. Phyllis wanted to go to Gordon Street, but I decided to go to some other friends' church first. Phyllis wasn't happy, and, well, you all know, when Mama ain't happy..... So we went to Gordon Street the following Sunday. The people were so nice. The preacher preached about Jesus. And we just kept coming back.

Phyllis gave her life to Jesus in late January, and, on February 9th, , I gave my life to the Lord. A lot of things have happened between then and now, but it doesn't really matter. “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14. I thank God my mother gave her life to Jesus, and I thank Him for 61 wonderful years with Phyllis, 3 children,7 grandchildren – 5 of whom are married, and 4 great-grandchildren.

Through most of that time, we served at Gordon Street, later called Morningside, for 43 years. Then some friends asked us to visit Covenant Baptist Church. We did and fell in love with the people of Covenant. I am so thankful for our elders and staff.