My Story, the story of God’s Love for me

By David Allen

Deu 4:9  Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;

I grew up in a loving Seventh-day Adventist Christian home. My parents never divorced, I never went hungry, never went to prison, never robbed a bank, and never used drugs, alcohol, or tobacco. Mine is not the typical “Unshackled”  or  AA Testimony. I did have a "hitting bottom experience" , but not a traumatic a other testimonies you might have heard.

I did however start out rather rough. I had pneumonia in the first month of my life, and my parents weren't sure I'd make it, but God had other plans. In grade school, I attended a small school and (as I later figured out much later) I had dyslexia and wasn't able to read until third grade. The teacher at that time didn't teach phonics very well, and no one really understood dyslexia. My mother was very attentive and kind, and she made sure the teachers passed me along even though I couldn't read yet. Fortunately, I had a good fourth-grade teacher who helped me catch up some. In my little mind, I can remember thinking that I could do math pretty well, so I didn't really need to learn how to read.

My grandmother, Allen, had a profound and lasting influence on my life. A resident of Newark, New Jersey, she possessed a powerful blend of outspokenness, aggression, humor, and kindness. She was raised in the Baptist traditions, her family also held spiritualist beliefs. After my grandmother's sister Ruth's husband died, he returned to talk with Ruth nightly.  Once, while my dad and his brother were playing with a Ouija board at their next-door neighbor's house, lightning struck the house, knocking the chimney off.

A pivotal moment arrived with the visit of a Colporteur selling religious books. My grandmother, ever the inquisitor, bombarded him with questions about death and the afterlife.  The Biblical idea that fallen angels could impersonating  the dead and that death is a sleep was startling to her. The Colporteur’s  Bible-based answers resonated with her, leading her to study deeper into the faith. She began attending weekly Bible studies with the local Adventist pastor, a process that took over a year due to the emphasis on thorough understanding and study at that time. Her newfound faith caused trouble and conflict within her family. My grandfather did not accept the Seventh-day Adventist faith until 40 years later.

During family reunions in Pennsylvania, the her relative would prepare green beans and pies using pork fat, with ham as the main dish. By this time, my grandmother had become a vegetarian. Her husband, who hadn't yet accepted the Adventist message, would eat what was served. My grandmother and their children, on the other hand, mostly ended up eating just bread and butter.

The extended family disapproved of my grandmother's conversion and tried their best to discourage her. My father, the eldest child, was upset that he couldn't eat the delicious food they used to enjoy. This happened during the depression, and their diet at home was meager. My father couldn't understand why my grandmother was restricting their food choices under these circumstances.

A miracle unfolded in the life of my grandmother middle son Clifton. He developed rheumatic fever at age five, this caused  both kidney and heart failure.  The physician give him at most 3 to 4 years to live. His feet were swollen with fluid and his lungs were congested. However, my grandmother's unwavering faith led her to seek divine intervention through anointing. The results were astonishing. Clifton was unable to fit into his shoes due to feet swelling.from heart and kidney failure. After the anointing service, my grandmother told him to put on his shoe, which she had brought. Surprisingly, to him, he was able to do this.  He then joyfully ran outside to play, leaving everyone praising God. He lived to 93 and never had heart or kidney problems again.

My father told us how God had protected and helped him. Drafted into World War II, he chose a non-combatant role and served on a hospital ship tending mostly to shell-shocked soldiers (now call post traumatic stress syndrome). A psychotic patient tried to kill my father by strangulation. Fortunately the other psychiatric patients came to his rescue. He used his GI Bill to pursue higher education, eventually graduating from Loma Linda University School of Medicine.  He spoke offend on how God had help him though school.  His parent were poor and unable to help financially.

My mother's journey began on a small farm in Tennessee. Despite limited financial resources, their family thrived on what they could grow on their land durning the depression. After she finished 8th grade she entered the workforce, first in a shirt factory and then as a "Rosie the Riveter”(assembling air craft) during World War II. After the war she used the money she had save to complete high school.  In only a year and a half she completed high school and entered Pacific Union College.   She graduated from Loma Linda University school of nursing with a BS degree. There was no loans or grants in those days. She was a member of the Seventh-day Church of God . She work and paid her own way the all her schooling. Robert Olsen gave her Bible Studies while at Pacific Union College.  There she became a Seventh-day Adventist.

Both of my parents had come from poverty during due depression and had works their way through school and had become successful and we're determined that their children should a better childhood and they had. My mother pampered us some.  My wife Connie says that she spoiled us by making our beds and doing all the housework.

 Despite being raised in a religious household, I spent much of my free time glued to the television, immersed in fictional worlds of "I Dream of Jeannie" and "Gilligan's Island.”

At 12 I was baptized. As I reflect on this experience, I was grateful for Jesus' sacrificer me, but I didn't fully grasp my need for a savior at that time.  I was like the rocky soil of Matthew 13:5-6.

My mother, always an optimistic and positive person (for which I am incredibly grateful), saw me through rose-colored glasses. My mother believes in me and and I believed God's loved me, everything felt good. No matter how I behaved or how bad I did in school.

I attended church regularly and mostly outwardly followed the rules. Conflict avoidance came naturally to me, perhaps due to middle child syndrome.

Selfishness still ruled me, even though I never used drugs or alcohol. Instead, I sought out peaceful pleasures like watching TV, golfing, waterskiing, whitewater rafting, and eating out.  

When I was a teenager the “old people” (over 30) would ask. “what are you going to be when you grow up”.  This was more concerning to me than if I was going to heaven.  Of course I was going to heaven.  Jesus loves me,  I when to church.  My mom thinks I am good person.  And when the final test come I knew the answer.   “The 7th day is the Sabbath”.

In an effort to help me figure out what I was going to be “when I grew up” my parent found summer employment for me.

I spent one summer being a “handyman assistant”.  I did  farm labor for one summer-knocking almonds, picking berries etc. I worked as a Mason’s assistant.  One summer my dad brought home a old truck for my older brother and myself to practice auto mechanic on.  We took it apart but could not get it back together.  My dad had it hauled away .  I never felt competent or enjoyed these summer Jobs enough to think I could make a living doing these trades.

When is was 17 year old and was driving alone to visit my brother at Pacific Union Collage, my left rear car tire blew out.  I was on the busy highway near San Francisco. I had never change a tire before,  we had no cell phones then. I got out and found the Jack and spare tire.  I was barely off the highway with cars whizzing by. It was a dangerous place to have to change a tire and I wasn't exactly sure how to do it. But from the chaos emerged an unexpected act of kindness. A stranger, an "angel" perhaps pull up he said “praise the lord I came along” he changed my tire very quickly, I was amazed. This to me was a testament to God's divine intervention and love for me.  If strengthen my faith in God.

When I went to Pacific Union Collage, I was poorly prepared of. Collage.  I had not done well in High school, putting forth only enough effort to keep may parents happy.  My mother had typed and edited my report and papers.  I foolishly had skipped typing in High school. I did not read much and did not read very fast because of my dyslexia 

I alway assumed I could do better if I applied myself. My mothers always optimistic on my abilities. Since I did not feel I would be good as a farmer, mason, carpenter, mechanic, I felt I should go to college to get a easer job.  Being a physician seamed like a way to help people and I was not sure I was smart enough to be a mechanic, farmer, carpenter or mason.  I was not aware of trade school.  So I signed up for premed.  I was a expert in the 1970 TV shows Get smart, Lost in space, My favorite Martian, Gilligan island, Gun Smoke.

My first quarter was a wake up call. There were about 200 or so Premed student and they only took 8-15 or so into med school from my college, PUC.   I did my best - which was something I had not tried before.  Chemistry, Bible, Calculus, Biology, English writing. My first quarter grade point average was 2.9 which was less than a B average.  You need at least a 3.6 GPA.

I was rather discouraged .  I had tried hard and put effort went into classes, I spent a lot of time studying. Maybe I need a plan B.  In those day mostly men went into medicine and very few men went into Nursing. I had thought about going into mathematics The one thing I did well in high school was Algebra, despite this I did not quite get the hang of Calculus I received only a C+. For me this was my "hitting bottom" point.

 I remembered my Dad saying God had help him though his schooling.  My grandmother stories of miracles gave me a measure of faith.  I went to a prayer meeting by Morris Venden, he emphasized having a relationship with God.  I became impressed that maybe God could help me.

I would give it a try.  My 5 part plan was:   

1. Daily devotions 

2. Daily prayer 

3. Prayer note Book

4. Attended Church and Sabbath school

5. Attended Prayer meetings every Wednesday evening.

In prayer meetings led by Morris Venden, and through Bible classes with Erin Gain, I began to understand the true meaning of faith.

I started journaling my prayers, recording every request for help with school and test. This act, born out of self-interest, became a bridge to a deeper connection with the God.  Every pray for help with test in various class was answered.

God not only helped me with testing but sent people into my life to show me how to study and what to study.  I was a slow reader from dyslexia, as I learned latter, so it was important to be studying the right material. I was not the fastest test taker ether but managed to finish.  I surprised my Dad and myself with my improvement.  Once I was taking a required music class and we were suppose to tell the rhythm of the music by listening to the music.  Music was way out of my skill set.  However a student next to me, who I did not know, started taping his foot to the music so I was able to get the rhythm. 

I was amazed how God help me with every class and every test though college.  I keep a pray journal  of all the answered prayer for every test. I finished College with a 3.7 GPA.  It was in medical school I figured out I had dyslexia, in the pediatric section.  I spent more time studying than the average med student because of the slower reading speed. In my last year of Medical school there was a class call “Community Medicine” which was the easiest class in Medical school.  I was looking at my prayer journal and it seemed repetitious and it was.  I had never missed praying and  writing in my prayer journal since I was a freshman in college for every class or test, this was an easy class maybe I can handle this one class.  I did not put the “Community Medicine” test in my prayer journal. The “Community Medicine” class had only one test at the end - for which I studies as I did  for all the other classes. It was the only class or test that I did not pass in medical school.  I went to talk to the Dean of the medical school to see if I needed to do anything about it take it over or what, Dr. Hadley said I had done well and all my other classes and not to worry about it, but it was a wake up call  for me,  that indeed God had been the reason I had been able to get this far in my educational experience.

I share this for these reason.  

1.  As Parents and Grandparent we can have profound influence by sharing what God has done for them.  My Grandmother never saw her influence on my life.  When she was telling how God worked in her life, I may have seemed indifferent.

2. My mother unplugged the TV once and told us ( me and my 2 brothers 9-14) the TV was broke.   We tried turning it on nothing happened then my brother looked around and found it unplugged. Parent sometime stretch the truth a little to achieve a good goal.  But when grandparents come over they may seem more reliable to the little minds.

3. God work with people where they are at.  The young may not care a great deal about heaven hell or Judgement, they feel immortal.  But they care about the here and now.  For me it was to finding my place in the working world.  

4.  God want to know us.   He is search for way to have a relationship with us.

5. God is focused on the relationship.  We need to have that focus. Bill Belececk once said when ask at the beginning what his plans were for the season he said, “to have a good practice today”. Relationship are built by daily interactions with specific plans.  Not but desires or good intensions.

6. Cultivating faith most important spiritual discipline that can be acquired. It is obtained in the class room (Bible study) and in the laboratory of life.

This is why it is that, as stated by the Spirit of Prophecy on the first page of the Review, Oct. 18, 1898, "The knowledge of what the Scripture means when urging upon us the necessity of cultivating faith is more essential than any other knowledge that can be acquired.”

The study of scripture is the classroom and our trials and experiences are the laboratory, both the victories and defeats. 

Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Faith therefor require a time to hear and a plan on what to read.   A relationship requires time.  

Every Challenge, temptation, battle, prayer, witnessing experience, customer, patient, interaction, Bible study is a opportunity to build faith and partnership with God.

Looking back on my life, I wonder if becoming a physician was God's plan for me. Perhaps there was something even better in store.

I decided to pursue medicine before I developed a relationship with God. The demands of Collage and medical school were more than I could handle alone. Thankfully, God came alongside me and offered his help.

In retrospect, it would have been beneficial to have established a relationship with God before choosing my career path. This experience, however, allowed God to build my faith and establish a connection with me.

By my sophomore year in college, I had made two of the most important decisions in my life. The first was to develop a relationship with God. The second was about my life's work. Both decisions were in their early stages, and I had a long way to go on both fronts.

The third major decision most people make is finding a life partner. At that time, it was typical for women to prioritize this more than men. It was therefore a challenging time for a young man at an Adventist college to be focused on education rather than dating.

There was a girl in one of my classes who was interested in me. We played tennis a couple of times. She was nice, but I wasn't sure if she would support my growing faith.

Around this time, Connie returned to Pacific Union College (PUC) from Walla Walla College. I knew Connie as a strong Christian woman from high school. This seemed to be God's will.

The following year, Connie went to Loma Linda University for nursing school. This also seemed to be part of God's plan, because during my junior and senior years, having my girlfriend eight hours away gave me more time to focus on my studies.

Through the years, God has pruned away the layers of my selfishness. Marriage, children, and the demands of being a physician have instilled in me the values of giving and sacrifice. I've learned that true happiness lies not in fleeting pleasures, but in serving others and living a life of purpose.

My journey is a testament to God's unwavering love and patience. He met me where I was, a TV-addicted teenager lost in the wilderness of self-indulgence, and led me, step by step, towards a life of faith and service.