Picture of Fran Houston 1980 taken by Al

We had just settled in good. Al and I were reading our Bibles.

As I was reading I began to wonder if I was really saved. Every time I turned around lately I heard a preacher say if you can’t remember the moment you accepted Jesus, you were probably not saved. Even though I was saved when I was three years old (I fell in love with Jesus), I began to doubt my salvation because of what was being said.

I was praying – asking God if I was saved when Al spoke up, "You know honey I did not love you when we got married." That got my attention. He continued, "I was in love with the fruit of the Spirit you were bearing." Praise the Lord now I knew for certain that I was a Christian. Jesus said you would know them by their fruit.

Shortly after that I came across the scripture that says God’s call and gifts are irrevocable. I remembered that I was called to be a missionary when I was about 12 years old. I had not followed that call.

Immediately God gave me a picture of all the clubs Al had taken me to and the many men and women who had come over and said "Lady you are a Christian.  Would you explain something to me?"  I always answered their questions and wondered how they knew I was a Christian. 

A time or two I asked them, "Don't you have a Christian friend that would love to answer your questions?"  They would answer that their Christian friends were too good to step foot in their house because they drank.  Therefore they would not give them the privilege of answering their questions.  But they said, "you are different, you don't think you are too good to come where I am.

God also reminded me of all the different people  that I had witnessed to during our many travels.  Praise the Lord! He had used me in spite of me.

There were also other memories of giving testimonies to anyone who needed encouragement. I also used God’s word to help anyone who asked for advise. God’s Holy Spirit just flooded me with memories that said I had been and still was a lay home missionary.

God is so good. He uses us when we don’t even know it. He also makes sure we are not in distress by what Satan is trying to accuse us of.

I have no desire to rule anything but I love it when I am filled with the joy of the Lord. Each time I help someone, I was filled with that joy. It’s like a celebration that just bubbled up from deep inside and flowed out of me. It happens every time I talk about Jesus.

Rom 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Mat 7:16-19 "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Learning to Lean

I've Seen & Heard of Jesus