Growing up in the Bronx and being connected to my first experience introduced by a classmate, Vera Parker and her family, I fell in love with God!\r
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I was only seven, but God had me at hello! \r
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Sunday School, Youth Choir, Usher board and special events to memorize poems, were all the activities I participated in after my first month of going to the church! lol! \r
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My mother came after my second visit to the church, due to seeing how elated I was with the services. My entire family came the next week with my Father taking the day off from work to be there on a Sunday. I was like a kid in a candy store having my Father be there...""Daddy's little"" addiction. ;)\r
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Well what happened that afternoon at church, changed my life. I had been observing, that everytime the pastor gets up to see if anyone in the church would like to join, people would stand up. The pastor would say, The doors of the church are open, if anyone would like to join, please Let God into your hearts and come before him. \r
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As a ""kid"", I was wondering why they never opened the doors to let the people come in to join.... This Sunday, I got up from my piu seat and walked down the middle ile past the usher's and opened the church doors. Their was a mustering of voices, but no one said a word. I latched the doors with little hooks that were on the back of each door securing them opened. Then as I was walking back to my seat, the usher put her hand on my shoulder. \r
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The usher looked displeased. She was about to speak, when the pastor came toward me from the pool-pit and asked, why did I opened the doors. My mother looked over in embarrassment not knowing what to say about my actions. \r
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I looked up at the pastor and said; ""they never open up the doors, when you ask them to join the church"", The pastor places his hands on my shoulder nods at the usher to go back and walks me to my piu seat.\r
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The pastor walks a few steps to grab the microphone and annouces in a clear voice. Well now the ""church doors have been open, where they said a child will lead us,......Is there anyone who would like to be born again and follow in God's words?\r
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As the church was chuckling from my gesture of open doors, I looked at my parents saying that I wanted to get up and join the church. My father gave his grinning smile of pearly white teeth and I got up past my sister's who were rolling their eyes and I walked to the pastor and stood in front of him. \r
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I was shaking like a bunny with no hair on her tail in the snow, but at the same time I felt the glass paned windows with light beaming through were giving me comfort to help me stand there alone.\r
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The pastor held my hand. It was clamy, but I was not grossed out. Oh! and by the way, My pastor was BLIND! He could feel your presents and I think in my mind, that is why I wanted to open the doors of the church. I thought the ushers were being lazy and I could not understand why none of the adults would do what the pastor asked. LOL.\r
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Opening the doors of the church has stayed with me from that moment on. \r
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My father was one who sang to me as a baby always singing church songs, which made it a natural transition to be part of God's house.\r
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*training starts at home, but we as individuals must listen to God's voice when he calls, even when it does not feel right. \r
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If you stand for God he will never leave your side.\r
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I thank and praise God for giving me the inspiration to sharing my story publicly. I hope that other's will come forth to testify how God has affected their lives to being better human beings. ;)
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