Psalm 78:6, New American Standard Bible

“So that the generation to come would know, the children yet to be born, That they would arise and tell them to their children.”

He is with me every step of the way (Part One)

I was the first-born to teenagers in 1961, in Marietta, Ohio. Neither of my parents went to church, but Grandma on mom’s side did (Grandma Camden). My grandparents on dad’s side went out to a nightclub every weekend and got my mom and dad going also. Grandma Camden would babysit my younger sister, Penny, and me.  Since the night club went until late hours, I got to stay with my grandma and grandpa Camden most weekends. Grandpa got me some shoe roller skates, and I started learning how to skate at age three. Around this time, Grandpa also started taking me with him to the only roller-skating rink in Marietta, Ohio, which is still operating today. I would stay overnight with these grandparents and go to church with my grandma on Sunday mornings. Grandpa did not go to church, so we walked to church most Sundays since grandma never got a driver’s license.

Sometime between lunch and dinner time mom and dad would come and pick up my three-years-younger sister and I. This continued until I was twelve years old. 

At the age of nine, the church was having revival meetings, and it was at one of these when I received the Lord into my heart. Although I really didn’t fully understand just what it meant, it sure felt good and I wanted mom and dad to start joining us at church.

This was not well received by my dad, and I was forbidden to discuss it with my parents again. My mom was a prodigal. I never have been certain whether my dad had been raised as a Christian, though he seemed to be familiar with church. I have always believed that mom would have served God and gone to church if my dad would have. I had really good parents; I always knew that I was loved and as well cared for as possible. They didn’t have much, being so young starting out. Dad worked bagging groceries when they first married and were expecting me.

At some point after my salvation, during that year, my dad started doing some strange, unwelcome things to both my sister and I. I totally did not understand this, and I knew instinctively that it was wrong. Of course, we were threatened that if we should ever tell anyone or try to run away, there would be serious repercussions. Dad was the main disciplinarian in the house and had instilled the fear of him very early on. There was never intercourse, but there sure was a whole lot of violation. Somehow, my mom never caught on to this. I think she was also afraid of him in some ways. If he got angry, things could get very bad, at least in his younger days. So, she just didn’t interfere when there was a ruckus going on in another part of the house. Most occasions were when she was not around anyway.

Please come back next week to read, “He is with me every step of the way” (Part Two)