God's Protection at 16

I want to restate just in case whom ever is reading is wondering. I am writing all this down to hopefully someday put it in a book. I'm not writing it in order. I'm just writing as I see fit to do so. As time goes on you will be able to see I have a lot of stories because I have had a lot of things happen to me. Some are wonderful God stories and some are horrible hurtful stories.

My goal here is to make the reader realize that Romans 8:28 is true and with your eye's firmly planted on God you can overcome anything.

Here is my next story....

When I was 15 or 16 my Father became a minister. He took an assistant pastor's position at a very small church in South Phoenix. This little church was on Broadway and 7th street. At that time South Phoenix was the "BAD" part of town.

The church was so small that there wasn't enough workers to do the things needed so as one of the Pastors children I was put to work. I helped in Children's Church and sang every week and pretty much did what was needed. On Saturday's I would go with my father and some other people from the church to visit kids and invite them to Children's Church and make arrangements to pick them up on the Church bus the next morning. We would go to the projects and knock on doors. Sometimes I would dress up in a Snoopy costume to draw the kids to us.

When I turned 16 and got my drivers license I started doing this with one other young person and my Father would do other things for the church while I was going door to door. There were even times that I would drive the bus on Sunday mornings to pick up the kids when the normal bus driver was not there.

One Saturday the Lead Pastor wanted his daughter and foster daughter to go with me on my visitations that day. They both had gotten in trouble with shoplifting and their punishment was to go with me. Needless to say they didn't want to be there.

This particular day we started our visitation rounds in the projects. I was driving my AMC Concord with crank windows. My window was rolled down and because of a shabby speaker installation it didn't roll up or down easily. We arrived at a apartment of one of the little boys that attended and I went up to his door. Across the street was a Gang of men probably 18 to 25 years of age. I can't tell you how many their were I just know there were at least 5 that I saw. They were drinking and the minute the three of us emerged from the car they started calling to us and making very vulgar comments. I ignored them and made my way to the little boys apartment but the other two just couldn't let it go. I can't tell you what was said all I knew is there was screaming and cussing and vulgar threats made from the guys as well as the two Pastor's daughters. The little boy's mother was afraid to open the door when I knocked and she told me through the door to leave the area because of this gang of guys outside was very dangerous.

So I turned to leave and saw that the gang was angry and was starting to come toward us. I told the girls to shut their mouths and run to the car. I told them to lock their doors as they got in. We all started running. The two of them made it to the car with just enough time to slip in and lock it. But not me. I got in and shut the door but my window was open ...I didn't stand a chance.

The thing I remember the most was the feeling of my long hair being pulled up. One of the men had made it too my side while the others were kicking and beating on the other girls doors. Bottles were being thrown at the car and shattering all around the car. Soon I was half out of the car with a broken bottle held to my neck. This very large man had a death grip on my hair and was pulling me out of the car by it through my window. I had managed to have my keys out and the Pastors daughter (Lori) saw that I was trying to get her to put them into the ignition. My lower body was still in the car and my foot could reach the gas but not for long.

I was scared to death but all I could think of was that it was my job to keep these girls safe. So I started talking... He kept asking me what the girls had called them? I had no idea and I told him so, and I apologized to him for their disrespect and somehow started talking to him about God's love. I kept thinking about the book about Nicky Cruse and how he turned from a life in a gang to a man of God and I kept talking. I can't tell you what all I said but I just kept talking and he stopped pulling. Soon his grip lessened on my hair and with my right hand I signaled for Lori to start the car.

It was a miracle. I don't know how my hair wasn't ripped from my head but in one motion the car started she slammed it in drive and I stepped on the gas with the top half of my body out of the car. The glass bottle cut my throat a little bit as I slipped out of his grasp and managed to pull myself back in the car and drive as fast as I could to get us out of there. The men were furious. They ran after us and was throwing stuff but they never caught us. They never got in a car. Nothing.

I was scary calm while the other two girls were hysterical. As we drove to the nearest Convenience store to call the police I started praying for someone to help. I saw a Cable truck on the side of the road with a very large man in it and I pulled the car over and got out. As I walked toward the man emotion overwhelmed me and I started to cry uncontrollably. The most wonderful thing was this man was a Christian and all he said was "How can I help?" and he hugged me. I can't remember a time in my life when a hug felt so peaceful. I don't remember what he said or what he did but withing the hour our Fathers were there and so were the Police.

I don't remember thanking that man but I did thank God for him.

Note: In no way do I think that it was appropriate for teenage girls to be left to do that visitation. That was just one of several very poor parenting choices that hurt me. But I do believe in forgiveness no matter how hard and God was always there to pick up the pieces and help me move on.

I'm glad he is my protection.

Thanks for listening,
Sherry