This Is My Story!
I just recently found out about a book titled “This is My Story” written by Barbara Hunt Gilbertson. When I learned what this book was about, I began to be excited both in the natural and in my spirit man.
Once I heard the title and part of the story, I went online and ordered a copy for myself from Amazon. In doing so I found 1 used copy like new, so I purchased that one. The day came when my book arrived. I opened it and it had never been read but the book was signed by Bro. JW Hunt. Again, I was happy to receive a signed copy of this book. However, this book was signed on my son’s 14th birthday Oct. 27, 1993 and the story that I am going to share from the book happen the first part of July. My birthday and my grandson’s birthday is July 6th. A number of family members have birthdays in that first week of July. I found this to very interesting.
Why you might ask? This book has some great stories in it but what excites me the most is many of the stories are about my Grandfather and uncles. These stories about my family that took place in the early 1940’s. This was during a time of war and there was not much for people to have other than what they grew. The best thing they all had was Jesus.
I am looking forward to reading the entire book, however, I looked up one story my mother told me about. I want to share that with you in this blog.
No matter how things may look or feel like, always listen to the Holy Spirit. Here is part of the story as written in the book “This Is My Story”.
This part of the story regarding my Grandfather starts in Chapter 11. However, at the beginning of this chapter Bro. Hunt had borrowed $50 to purchase the tent, that he was saved under as a child, from the bank, he signed the papers and said that he and Lord would pay it back. This part of the story is taking place in 1942.
This picture was taken April, 2017 of the church in McKenzie. The couple standing in front are my parents.
Quoting from the book; We were called to Pastor the church in McKenzie. So we moved there and started working for the Lord. The old devil jumped on me as soon as I started pastoring the church about the bank note.
Underneath some dogwood trees in a little grove, I had made me a tabernacle of prayer. There I could be alone with God and pray and seek His will for my life. I had prayed and I had a peace about the money, but I still didn’t have the money. I said, “God, you’re going to have to help me, now I am pastoring a church that will only pay about $98 for a whole year’s work and I am certainly not going to bring my problems before the church because they don’t have anything either.”
The first day of July came around and the bank note on the tent came due. I had only five dollars in my pocket. I got up and got dressed and Velma looked at me and said, “Where are you going?” I said, “to the bank.” She said, “Why are you going there? You don’t have any money.” I said, “I’m going to tell that man I want to make some kind of an arrangement to pay his money back, I am not going to sneak around him and I am not going to try to dodge the issue. I am going to let him know I am a man and this is my responsibility and I took this one on, and I told him that me and the Lord would pay this note and I’m going to tell him we can’t pay it right now, but we will make some kind of an arrangement to pay it.
I started down the paved road to McKenzie. We lived about a mile and a half out of town. The Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “You go back down that dirt road!” I turned around and started for the dirt road. I walked right back by my house, and walked up this hill on this muddy road. I got to the top of the hill and look down on the other side and coming up the other side was Brother Med Beesley in a two mule wheel wagon. When he got to where I was, he stopped and I put my foot on the front wheel and I said, “How are you this morning, Brother Beesley?” He said, “Fine.” I looked at him and big old tears rolling down his cheeks. He didn’t know I needed anything and he certainly didn’t know I needed $50. I had thought about asking him to loan me $50 but I backed out on that deal.
He said, “Brother Hunt, the Lord told me I would meet you on this road.”
I said, “What do you mean?” He said, “He told me that you would be on this road and that you needed some money.” He reached up in a little blue denim shirt pocket and pulled out a role of money. He put fifty, one dollar bills in my hand and as he did this he said again, “The Lord said I would meet you on this road and that you needed money and that you needed it today!” I said, “Brother Beesley, when did this happen? He said, “While I was hooking up my mules. The Lord said I would meet you here!” It was a miracle, because the paved road was nearer and I wouldn’t have gotten my shoes muddy. This way I had to walk a red, muddy, clay road to get there, but it paid off.
I walked on to the bank and went in and I said to the banker, “I have your money!” He came limping over to where I was and he said, “Where did you get the money?” I said, “The Lord gave it to me.” He said, “He had to give it to you Preacher, there ain’t that much money out there in this country. I know that this is a miracle.”
I looked at him and big tears were rolling down his face. I pulled out the role of one dollar bills and laid them on the counter and I said,” Count out your money, and I need to know the amount of interest I owe you.” He looked at me and got the papers and mark through them and he said,” I’ll tell you what I am going to do, I am not going to charge you any interest Preacher, and I also want you to know that if you can do what you said you would do, I know God had to supply that money because I’ve been a Banker a long time and I’ve never seen a young man walk in and pay me with that much money at once in all my banking years. I don’t want your interest.” I made one of the greatest friends out of that old man anybody could have ever had. We spent many hours together and every time he saw me he would say,” Preacher, it had to be God.”
I know that I am going to enjoy reading this book about Rev. Hunt and how my family fits in this story.
Now I would like to show you what happens when people listen to the Holy Spirit and follow His directions. Rev. JW Hunt (remember this is in the 1940s going forward) touched a world without all the wonderful tools we have today. I found this information online regarding Rev. John Walter Hunt.
John Walter Hunt (1919–2001)
Inscription:
The Rev. John Walter Hunt, age 81, of 517 Transmitter Road, Springfield, Fla., died Monday, May 28, 2001, at a local hospital. He had been a resident of the area since 1948, coming to Panama City from Alabama. The Rev. Hunt was the pastor and the founder of Springfield Community Church. Before starting Springfield Community Church, he was the pastor of six Assembly of God Churches in Alabama. He was a chaplain for the United States and the state of Florida. The Rev. Hunt was listed in the Florida Who’s Who and was the Florida Delegate for the National Prayer Breakfast. Five hundred ministers are licensed with The Living Word of Faith Fellowship Ministries. He also established 155 churches in the United States; 142 in Kenya, Africa; six in Haiti; one church in Jamaica; three in Israel; three in Mexico; 400 churches in the Philippines; and one church in South America, Chile. He also established a college for the deaf, a bible college, an orphanage, an American Indians ministry, and a prison ministry.
The rest of his obituary is about his family.
People from a little community believed in this Preacher and supported him, even though he was a very young Preacher. He made a huge difference in the world. I know that this is just one story of how one person can impact the world.
I would ask you to look at those that you are close to where you are able to see the fruit in their lives. Listen to what they are called to do and help them to fill their dream and calling. Help them to be able to impact the world for the Kingdom of God. When you help someone with their dream/calling with your support, be sure that you encourage them to do what they have been called to do. When you help someone to see their dream, God will help you to see your dream happen.
I pray that you have enjoyed just one of the stories about my grandfather from this book “This Is My Story!” During this time everyone had to depend on Jesus. We need to make sure that our dependency is on Jesus in every area of our life.
God has given me a calling to train others, to have classes and a school of ministry. Kingdom Keys Ministry is a 501(c)3 and a church that trains others how to make a difference. Kingdom Keys Ministry has a “Go Fund Me” account for anyone that would like to help us see our ministries dream happen. Thanking you in advance for helping!
I hope that you enjoyed this one story from this book. My Grandfather, just like my father, are awesome men of God. Their heart has always been, more than anything, to see the Kingdom of God grow. From this true story of a chapter of my Grandfather’s life I pray that it has touched your life in a very special way. Remember to always listen to the Holy Spirit and DO what He tells you to do.
I love learning about our family and how we have inherited our Spiritual Giftings!! WOW, a spiritual inheritance is so much better than a secular inheritance.
Blessings to you and your family,
Patsy Riggs
