In my last testimony, I discussed one of the wonderful blessings of my faith journey, learning contentment. I wove my journey with the stories of people I know and others who became well-known for their faith and spiritual demeanor, one of whom was Horatio Spafford, who penned the beautiful hymn “It is Well with My Soul” after losing his four beautiful daughters in 1873. Spafford was able to deal with such anguish, which was one of several he had faced in his life, because he had great faith. In one way or another, most of my testimonies have elaborated on individual faith journeys, from biblical saints to everyday believers in Jesus as their Savior, and their impact on me. As faith and a Christian life are so intricately interwoven, I have decided to focus on why my faith, or ‘faith journey,’ is so important to me this time. Before I do that, let me share my view on something I call God’s judgment meter, as it plays a significant role for all mankind. I was going to try to find another word, but then I realized I was trying to make it sound more acceptable, something less harsh. Remember, Jesus didn’t always speak in parables. Sometimes, He spoke very clearly, even sternly, as the following attests:
“…Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not …do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Matthew 7:21 (ESV)
There’s no escaping judgment, and we need to be aware of that. God’s judgment is mentioned many times in the Bible, depending on the specific version. For example, “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 NIV). The King James Version mentions it 127 times. I believe God’s judgement ranges from (1) the “I never knew you, depart from me” condemnation for the unsaved and those who have lost their way to (2) the “O’ ye of little faith” individuals who believe in God but are unable to commit to a active life of faith and (3) to those who truly “love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27 NKJV). To the truly faithful, we are told that a “crown of righteousness awaits” (2 Timothy 4:8 NIV). One could hear comforting words like, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23 NIV). I hope that as I describe my faith journey, you will see why understanding ‘doing the will of God the Father’ is the key element in my walk.
For most of my life, my faith was not something I thought about. I went to church regularly, except on the days when I could play golf. Perhaps I might have thought about it briefly when I had to mark some sort of document that asked for my religion. Over the years, I would identify myself as Episcopalian, Methodist, or even Protestant. Why the different denominations? Sometimes, we changed churches whenever we felt our current church was getting away from the Bible or becoming too political or worldly. No matter what church I attended, rarely did thoughts of being a Christian or being on a faith journey ever come to mind. Until I was saved, I am sure there was little evidence to anyone, let alone God, that indicated I was a man of God. Yes, I have long been familiar with Jesus and other Bible characters, as well as their inspirational stories. Still, the Church and the Bible had little influence on how I lived. Occasionally, I would do what could be considered good works, but I can’t say they were ever done out of love for God or to please Him or bring Him glory. Most likely, I thought it would score points with someone, or I had to fill a square for whatever reason. At best, I was an “O’ ye of little faith” Christian. But more likely, I was more deserving of the “depart from me, I never knew you” feedback.
Salvation: The Start of My Faith Journey
That all changed when I was saved. For 70-plus years, I believed there was a God, and in my mind, I had faith. My mum made sure I was a churchgoer when I was young, and my wife ensured I continued attending church after we got married. Oh, I went, but it sure got in the way of my golfing, fishing, and other rather-do activities. During my shallow church life years, I heard a lot of sermons, read scripture, and sang numerous hymns. Did I ever listen and respond to whatever message God might be sending my way? Sadly, no. Later in life, it was quite a shock to learn that I was no better than the demons when it came to understanding faith, as, like me, “even the demons believe that there is one God” (see James 2:19). Thankfully, a friend steered me to Jesus. As I have shared before, one day I found myself broken and lost at the foot of the cross and asked God to forgive me of my sins. He did, and I decided to put my trust in Jesus as my risen Savior and in all His promises. That gift of God, my Salvation, was the start of my ‘faith journey.’ Even though I did nothing to earn His mercy and compassion, from that day forward, I have been willing to trust and obey as I try to please and honor Him.
Early on, I quickly learned that faith was not some warm, fuzzy feeling of security where I could just laze around in His goodness, enjoying blessing after blessing, nor was it continuing my previous lifestyle in the same old manner. Thankfully, my Salvation was truly transformational. Old Al changed dramatically, and I soon knew something was different, something special from the start of my journey. Since then, I have been His work in progress. It is definitely a journey, a wonderful one at that. It is not easy. He didn’t say it would be. He did say He would send a helper, the Holy Spirit, and as He always does, He kept His promise. The fact that I am 83 and still here sharing my faith journey thirteen years later shows you how God can empower your walk with Him. There I was, one day living what I had said many times was a selfish, worldly-focused life, when God intervened. I think it was because of the faith of my wife, mother-in-law, and friends. My wife made sure I went to church. I had many friends who kept planting seeds in me, and my faithful mother-in-law had been praying for me (for my soul) ever since I got married in 1965. It (my conversion) didn’t happen overnight, even though I had started to become aware that I was on the wrong path. It took a couple of years for the God whispers to penetrate my heart as I thought I could live in both realms: the world where I was so comfortable, albeit lost and unhappy, and God’s Kingdom, where I was so uncomfortable and worried someone would ask me to step out of my comfort zone. Little did I know that God had ordained my friend Russ Bush for that role. His nickname should have been Nudge, as he was always encouraging me on God’s behalf. Looking back on that time, I realize those whispers were Jesus, who was calling me as He calls us all. I definitely wasn’t as prompt as those fishermen (Simon and Andrew, and then James and John) that He first called. But I am so glad I finally responded to His invitation. It is clear why He called the disciples, who became His Apostles. But why does He still call us 2,000 years later, and why this imperfect old man who had entered the winter of his life?
“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.”
1 Corinthians 1:26 (ESV)
Early on in my faith journey, I had all these questions: Why did He call me? Or said differently, what’s God’s will for me? What difference can a neophyte 70-year-old born-again Christian make? How do I go about pleasing God? and so on. I am extremely fortunate that I belonged to a Band of Brothers, a group of Christian men from several local churches in and around Buckhannon. They are a lot like those fishermen whom Jesus first called; they are not powerful, wealthy, or influential, just ordinary, humble men with an open mind and a willing heart. Each has their own unique calling and was changed by Jesus. They inspire me greatly by how humbly they exercise their faith using their individual gifts, i.e., skills and talents. It is from them that I have learned that faith is something I needed to put into practice to achieve God’s will for my life. Each brother lives out his faith in very tangible ways, such as volunteering weekly at food banks, delivering meals on wheels, building handicap ramps for the needy, restoring homes from fires or storms, working with youth, taking the elderly to doctors’ appointments, annually going on mission trips to underdeveloped countries, etc.
The list is extensive, with a strong focus on underprivileged children and the elderly in need. These brothers epitomize faith in action, focusing on doing good for others. They live out Paul’s exhortation in Galatians 6:10 (NKJV), “let us work for the good of all,” and James’ urging in the Book of James 1:22 (NLT), “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says; otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” Our Band of Brothers celebrates its 13th anniversary on September 18. I expect we will continue to try to live out Paul’s encouragement in Galatians 6:9 (NIV)as long as we are able: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Naturally, some needs are way beyond our capability, and in those cases, we try to pass them along to someone who can take care of them.
Some early hurdles in my faith journey were how to become a faithful servant like my brothers, and again, how to go about pleasing God. Another daunting one was how do I glorify Him. These were all things I had to figure out to ensure I was walking the path that God wanted me to be on. Why? Because I wanted my faith to be genuine, i.e., totally aligned with ‘His will,’ so one day I, too, would hopefully hear, “well done, good and faithful servant.” Now, when you have gone your own way for seventy years, you become very entrenched in a ‘trusting in your own understanding’ and relying on no one else’s way of life. One would think that it would be very difficult to dramatically change one’s ingrained life so fast. Looking back, I am amazed at how quickly I was able to submit to God’s will. I realize now that it was the Holy Spirit that guided me and helped me understand Paul’s words in Romans 12:2 (NCV), “Do not be shaped by this world; instead, be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants of you; you will know what is good and pleasing to Him and what is perfect.”
One doesn’t become a mature Christian overnight; it is a gradual growth process that you embark upon, and you must allow Jesus to lead the way. Some people sadly fall away for various reasons, as Jesus explained in the Parable of the Sower (see Matthew 13:2-9). One of the first things I learned was that if I was going to grow spiritually, I had to discipline myself much like an athlete does by going into training. Like most things worthwhile, you need to choose a goal, then plan on how you are going to try to reach it, and then take small, disciplined steps day after day. I opted for a daily routine that included Bible study, devotional reading, paying attention in church, listening attentively, and being inquisitive in study groups, as well as finding ways to apply my newfound faith. If you are like me, you can only make small changes at a time, regardless of the goal or project you undertake. I pursued growing in godliness, the same way, by taking on only small chunks of teaching to work on and apply at the same time. I call these takeaways or nuggets, which I try to apply to my life by putting them into practice. For example, kindness is a fruit of the Spirit that the Bible says we should all cultivate. We all know how good it feels when someone shows us kindness. This has motivated me to look for opportunities to be kind. Over the past year, I became aware of the Biblical instruction that we should be about caring for widows. If you search online this command, you will find several verses, all of which I never really paid any attention to before. You also don’t hear a whole lot about caring for widows in church. I can’t ever remember a sermon on it or it being discussed in a Bible study. However, through my Bible reading, it became a takeaway for me, where I felt compelled to act on this almost silent commandment. It is a takeaway I take great joy in. This is what I mean by finding a takeaway to act upon. It is also an example of “hearing the Word and doing it” that I mentioned earlier.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
My daily routine to answer some of my early questions subsequently became the essence of my faith journey, i.e., my walk with Jesus. I feel He talks to me in various ways (through Scripture, Bible study discussions, sermons, and faithful acts of others, among others) and plants His takeaways in me as those things He feels I need to do to not only serve Him but also to grow in godliness. Amazingly, as my growing routine became a way of life, I gradually understood that my calling was to “Reveal His Glory” through my photography and storytelling. He blessed me with those gifts to do my earthly work to please Him and to bring glory and honor to His name. I’ve learned that sharing our faith is a life-long commitment; there’s no retirement. As Paul suggests, we should never miss the chance to help others and share our faith with non-believers: “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time” (see Colossians 4:5).
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)
I recently turned 83, and I am six months past my third significant heart procedure, having two more stents implanted. I’ve worked hard at cardiac rehab and physical therapy to regain better health. God has blessed me so abundantly, and I feel He is still calling me. With my renewed energy, I am more willing, ready, and able to take the lead on our annual Help Us Help Kids Christmas Campaign. With the money we raise, we help kids from 1 to 90-plus not only at Christmas but throughout the year. Just about every month this year, some of our brothers have been building handicap ramps, doing restoration work from a fire, or some similar type of work to help someone in need. By the time this article is published, we will have started on some minor house repairs for a 95-year-old widow. We do our best to stay busy and broke. Also, this past month, I have been busy creating our Band of Brothers’ 2026 West Virginia Scenic Calendar, using some of the many photos I have been blessed to take of our beautiful state, which we call Almost Heaven. Next week, we will begin selling the calendar and collecting donations, allowing us to make hundreds of underprivileged children’s Christmas dreams come true and help many needy families have a wonderful Christmas dinner. Earlier this year, I thought my days of leading this project were over. I feel so grateful that I can work with my brothers to make a difference in the lives of many kids and needy families again this year. As the gist of this article suggests, when God calls, it is best to respond positively and do it as Paul told the Colossians (3:23 NIV), “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
“Thus, also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
James 2:17 (NIV)
That’s a snapshot of my faith journey, or as I could have written, “faith in action.” There is no such thing as ‘faith inaction,’ which is an oxymoron. As James writes, faith without action is dead. To me, “faith in action” is best described by the following: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself” (see Matthew 12:30-31). To do this, one must choose to act, and that’s what faith is: choosing to live out God’s will with determination. If you choose to do that, you will be pleasing God. How do I know that? Simply, the Bible tells me so; “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). I also know it because I have experienced it.
If God has touched your heart in any fashion regarding my faith journey testimony, He is calling you for a reason. Perhaps you are like me when I was living a selfish life, or maybe circumstances have caused your faith to wane. Perhaps you haven’t been able to find your path, or there is some other reason why God is calling you. Seize the moment! He is waiting to invite you into His family of believers. Do that with haste and say a prayer asking God to guide you on the faith journey He has for you, and then earnestly find a mature Christian friend or a pastor to ask for their help so you can begin your personal walk with Him. If you do that with a willing heart, He WILL hear you and help you embark on the most amazing faith journey you can ever imagine, just as He did for me. I pray that blessing for you.
Until next time, Godspeed. Al
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for calling me to love and honor you, and thank you for helping me live my life in a way that pleases you. May I continue to do so wholeheartedly. I pray you will use my testimony to whisper to others who need you, to hear and respond to your calling, and that you will help put them on their journey of faith as you did me. Amen.
Feature Images: © Al Tucker; Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.; The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.; Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.; Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.; Scripture taken from the (NCV) New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
