MY SALVATION EXPERIENCE
DONNY BROOKS 8-1-2017
I was born on March 11, 1946 in a small farm house on my Granddaddy’s (Pappy) farm in the Brooks Hollow near Defeated, Tennessee in Smith County. Doctor Robinson rode a horse to the farm house to deliver my Twin Sister and l. My Dad was a hard working farmer and my Mother was a “house wife”, as most were, in those days. All my childhood life, I lived and worked on this farm, helping raise tobacco and corn and milked cows. My Dad and I would plow mules to tend to the crops and garden to provide food and shelter for all the family. My dear Mother was from a large family of Wilmore’s, a few miles away. Most of the Wilmore family attended church, either at Peyton’s Creek Missionary Baptist Church or the Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church near Monoville, Tennessee and Pleasant Shade, Tennessee. I grew up, from birth, attending the Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church. I am so thankful to God that I was raised in a Missionary Baptist Church. Back in my early childhood, they only had church services once a month, because the Pastor of the Church went to other churches in the surrounding area as their Pastor also. The Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church has always had their yearly Revival beginning on the first Sunday night in July.
During the Spring time of 1958, at the age of twelve, condemnation was in my heart and I realized that I was lost and separated from God and needed to be saved. I dreaded for the time for Church Revival to come. Back in those days, the Pastor would usually preach to the members of the church for a couple of days at the start of the Revival and usually would not give an “alter call” until after that, so I thought I would not be ask if I was lost until then. On the first night of the Revival in 1958, before the first gospel song was ever sang, a friend got saved at her house, just a little while before time for the Revival to begin. My friend and Her Parents drove to the Church and begin to tell everyone that God had saved Her soul. I knew I was in deep trouble with great fear in my heart already. I was under conviction. The Preacher gave a “alter call” that night, but I stood behind others trying to hide. A dear old “white headed” man came to me and ask me if I was lost and I said yes and went to the alter. My twin Sister was already on the alter seeking God, along with 8-10 other people praying to God. My twin Sister got saved on Monday Night, but not me. I went back to the Alter on Tuesday morning and Tuesday night services. After my family and I got home on Tuesday night after the Revival, I went upstairs and went to bed. I could not sleep and heard my dear Mother praying to God from the top of Her voice, asking God to save my soul. Her urgent sounding voice of prayer, made me realize, even more, that I needed to be saved. No, Her prayer did not save me, but it caused me to ask God to spare my life and give me another opportunity to seek I-lima I could have been saved that night, lying in bed, if I had only trusted Him, but I waited until the next day of the Revival on Wednesday morning. My burden was so heavy and even deeper conviction was in my heart and soul. I could not wait for the Preacher to give the “alter call”. I went to the alter and somehow got from the mourner’s bench to the floor of the alter. Sometime around 2:00 P.M. on July 9, 1958, lying on the floor of the alter, I finally told God that I had tried everything but Him and I trusted Him with all my heart and He spoke sweet peace to my soul. I went from fear in my heart and soul to sweet peace in my heart and soul. I was told that hugged everybody in the church that day and a lot of shouting and rejoicing was witnessed that day in that old country church. I have never doubted what I received from God on that hot July day. Because of the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross, I am truly redeemed by His blood. I joined Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church that night and was baptized into the church. As my mind wonders back on all the accomplishments that I have had in my life, truly, the day I got saved, was the most important thing that has ever happened in my entire life. I am ready to go to Heaven when He calls me home to meet my Dear Mother and Father and others who have already gone on before me, to praise God, My Redeemer, forever and forever. It is well, it is well, with my soul.
