Paul Parr

Well I seem to find my self here with a new car, a new pistol, and the same
old bad habits that got me here in the first place. Some how the pistol is
in my hand, hammer cocked and under my chin, I nervously place my finger on
the trigger. "Just squeeze" I hear the voice say, "It will all be over, no more
pain, no more worry, no more tears, no more anything, just done." I began to
sweat, my hands were trembling, I felt my grip tighten around the pistol in my
hand. My finger pressing a little more against the trigger when all of a sudden.Needless to say I am still here. I didn't pull the trigger. I couldn't A friend told me of a love so great that no matter
how bad I had been, it didn't outweigh the good that he knew of. What was that Good? Could anything that Good
exist in this world? Then one day I'm in the yard when I see this old hound dog out in the road. I thought he was
too fat to be a stray so I read the name on his collar with the phone number listed below. I called the owner to
come get his dog.
I knew this must be the guy, it was obvious, even the dog recognized the truck. He stepped out with a smile and a
thank you and asked if my family and I go to church. I think I probably just kind of grinned and softly said no. He
gave me a card for a little country church right down the road. I remember thinking after he left that he had this
"Peace" about him. I thought how lucky he must be to have found a peace like that in this world. The more I
pondered the man's invitation to the church the more I was nudged to go.
One Sunday morning, I loaded up the wife and kids to answer the invitation, what I didn't realize at the time was
this was no invitation by a man. This was an invitation by God himself to be in a relationship with him. I guess we
went to Givhans Baptist Church a handful of times before my wife and I went to the front for altar call. That car,
that pistol and that night all came to mind. The Good that my friend had years before spoke of was suddenly upon
me. It was the goodness of Christ Jesus who had already died for me, who had already known me, who had already
suffered for me. His grace was extended the day his arms were stretched and nailed to the cross. Everything that I
suffered with trying to defeat, he had defeated over 2000 years ago. I was saved and I came to know the lord and to
answer his call to serve him through this music ministry.
Thank God for the Old Hound named Duke, the lord does work in mysterious ways!