Baptized or Saved?

One day my boss sent me to visit with a rancher about fertilizer for his pasture. I groaned because this man was older, and didn’t spend a lot of money on anything. Still, I went.  As soon as I jumped out of the pickup, this rancher asked “Are you saved?” I responded yes, that I was baptized Catholic.  He began to explain to me there is a HUGE difference between being baptized and being saved.

As he spoke, I felt like I had been in the desert for two weeks with no water, and I had a terrible case of cotton mouth. Every word was like a drop of cool water on my tongue. I couldn’t get enough! I hung on every word like I was finally getting a drink, and I was extremely dehydrated! 

When the rancher finished, I got into the pickup to leave. Instantly I felt something like warm paint dripping on my head.  I even looked at the roof of the pickup to see if it was leaking.  It wasn’t, but I still felt the sensation of warm thick paint dripping down my head, ears, neck, shoulders, and arms. Later I learned this warm thick sensation was anointing oil, as described in the Bible, Leviticus 8:12.  When the sensation got to my chest, my heart slowed, and I felt a calm peace like I never had before.  That same gentle loving voice I heard in the trailer house said “You are forgiven. Now let’s forget about the divorce, and do the right thing from here on out.”

Then I felt a sensation so exciting and wonderful I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.  I called Mom. Then I called and told my boss this rancher doesn’t farm his crop ground. “I know” said my boss, “I sent you out to visit about his grassland.”

So I had to go back to the rancher’s house. He told me more, and invited me to Bible study. As I started studying the Word I thought, “This is need-to-know information!! How come I didn’t know this stuff? If everything I’ve been taught isn’t exactly the truth, what is?”

That began my journey to find the truth.  That is the start of when I could read the Bible and NOT fall asleep.  At my rancher’s suggestion, I started a prayer journal.  He said this would teach me to watch for God’s answers so I could record them, and it would build my faith and trust in Him…and it has!!