“FAITH UNDER FIRE” CONTINUED

By: Terry Melancon
My daughter almost died, the doctor’s initial evaluation stated she would probably be on a dialysis machine for the rest of her life. Her kidneys would probably be damaged and fail her. I went before God and reminded Him of His word. “Children are the inheritance of the Lord”, an offspring a reward from him. Like the arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born of one’s youth. (Psalms 127:3)  Well she survived and didn’t have to be on a dialysis machine and is now living a very healthy life. Just when I thought that things were getting better, again trouble comes, now my son becomes the focus. In and out of court, several arrest and the use of drugs and alcohol, mostly drugs. The loss of jobs due to drug screening or tests; having to put money out for his bail, resetting of
court dates and the list just goes on.  Once again my faith was under fire; all of this while I’m serving the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind and body and strength. I’m in the ministry, preaching and teaching to others about the goodness of God. I am also living it around them but still my faith was under fire. That’s when I decided to give my children back to God, because they belong to Him and only he knew how to straighten them out. It was hard at first but I had to let go. Things were beyond my control. Now the woman I was married to for over thirty-two years decide to walk away and it was the IRS’s turn to enter my life, over twenty thousand dollars in taxes owed.  You would think that after all of that, just maybe things would settle down. Well, I remarried and I had only been
married for a year when I lost my job. A job I had been at for over fourteen years. I went to work one Friday morning; we worked the entire day and at the end of the day I was given a pink slip (termination notice). I couldn’t imagine what I was going to tell my new bride. I was always on time, worked overtime when asked, sometimes volunteered to stay to get the job done.  I thought that they should have fired the ones who didn’t come to work or were late constantly, but that wasn’t the case. Now I had to go home and explain to my new wife that I no longer had a source of income to take care of her. But I had a faith filled wife who, when I got home and gave her the letter to read, responded by saying “God will provide.”
I filed for unemployment and before I received my second check, God had a man call me about a job while I was in route to an interview. I accepted the job which the man called about. This job offered better hours, better salary, no weekends, so I could attend church regularly, including Sundays. By now you’re probably say things are looking up but health issues arose with me this time.  Prostate problems were diagnosed as possible cancer.  Many times the thought of giving up and throwing in the towel came when fear tried to raise its ugly head. But my
God was bigger than every circumstance and problem I encountered.  James 1:2 ”My brothers, count it all joy when you face different trials and tests, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. When your faith is under fire, it’s
like gold being refined; the hotter it gets the stronger you become. God’s bringing out the best in you.  During all of this, I never stopped going to church, never told anyone except those whom I believed would stand in agreement with me in prayer. I never stopped giving tithes, even when finances were tight. Many times
my faith was under fire so much that I would cry out and say ‘God I can take no more! Lord, what do you want from me? And as I asked, I heard God say so clearly say to me, “I love you, and I just want you to trust me”.  Terry Melancon is a freelance writer and lay pastor at The Fellowship Church in Texas City. He is also very involved in prison ministry and mentor to our own Doc Amey.