I came to Holland Baptist Church in 1992 as a 31-year-old E6 in the Navy, and I have been a member for 29 years. My wife Suzette brought me here kicking and screaming all the way. I was uncharged and thought I had everything covered with Jesus. I was a good guy, gave money to Navy relief, and had took in a stray cat or two. Suzette was a Christian raised up in church, and I knew it when I married her. 

 

She had been visiting churches in the area, and while at sea on USS America, I received a letter that said, “I finally found the perfect church, Holland Baptist.” As I read the letter, I was thinking, Baptist? Ha ha, those people are crazy! I’m not going to any Baptist Church! I can remember walking through the door and Charles Elliot was the first to welcome me. He said, “You will love this church. You can do anything and they still love you.” Next thing I knew, Pastor Bell was baptizing me, Suzette and Bethanne, our oldest daughter. 

 

As the years passed, I became more involved in church, but was not really transformed or walking in the Spirit. My relationship with Jesus Christ pretty much revolved around going to church on Sunday and nothing more. In 2003, Suzette was diagnosed with breast cancer, and our attitude was like no big deal—surgery, chemo, some radiation, and then back at work nursing at Southampton Memorial. We won’t miss a beat. Nothing to worry about. My faith wasn’t tested until one night after she had chemo and was not feeling well. She was really sick and it tore me up to see her messed up! Later that night, I had gotten up to go to the bathroom, and when I got in bed, she was still and quiet and barely breathing. I thought she was dead! I leaned down to see if she was breathing, and she was, but barely. Franklin streets were a solid sheet of ice, and I was thinking, it would be quicker for me to go to the hospital myself. She didn’t want to wake up, but I got her up, got her to the emergency room, and there she was diagnosed with sepsis. The doctor said if I had not gotten her there she probably would’ve died. I remember thinking, God, this is what it’s all about? It’s not fair she doesn’t deserve this!

 

Fast-forward 18 months and Suzette had gone back to work, but then had a reoccurrence! How could God do this to her? I thought…the best wife, best mom, best nurse, best friend, and best Christian I knew! I was really angry at God and he knew it!!! Then, Bethanne was diagnosed with leukemia! She had a husband and toddler to take care of! What is going on God? The pain and the sadness that we shared was beyond belief. Next thing that happened was Suzette’s disability from the hospital ran out. We didn’t know she should have applied for Social Security disability before her work disability ran out. Now our dream home was in foreclosure, and all the nice vehicles, travel trailer, lawn tractor, new furniture, and everything we were making payments on had to be sold. I blamed God for everything and I hated myself for doing it! As Suzette and Bethanne fought, I detached myself and just didn’t handle things very well. I was able to find a side hustle cleaning up the car wash in town morning and evening, and the boss man said he needed me there two hours on Saturday and Sunday mornings. I decided I needed the money worse than I needed church. I can remember Irving Musselman asking me if I was attending another church, and I said I would never leave my church, but in a way I had. We lost Bethanne in 2010 and Suzette in 2011, and I really struggled. I was by myself and had a routine—come home from work, have a cocktail hour that would turn into a cocktail evening, then beat myself up about being a better husband and father, missing my family, missing my life, missing my nice house, missing my nice stuff, cry a little, and go to bed.

Now, for the part of the story you have been waiting for….

 

One evening, as I began my little cocktail hour, I said to myself, so this is it? This is my life now? I heard the Holy Spirit speak and he said, “You did the best you could. You made some mistakes, but no one is perfect. Jim, you live in a fallen broken evil world, and you’re a sinner just like everyone else. While you are feeling sorry for yourself, look at Jesus Christ. He did nothing wrong, and they nailed him to the cross.” When I heard that, I felt ashamed of myself and thought, as bad as it is, nobody pulled me out of my house, spit on my face, and nailed me to a tree. I prayed to God right then and there for forgiveness and promised to start being the man he created me to be. Then, I got up and took that glass of Jack Daniels and Sundrop and poured it into the sink. I haven’t had a drop of alcohol since. I got on the Bible bus and started listening to Christian radio and studying my Bible. I told my boss man at the car wash that I wanted to go to church, and he said he would work with me. 

 

One of the happiest moments since I started coming to HBC was that day in 2011 when I came forward and I told Bob Bunn I had rededicated my life to Jesus. He said, “we have been praying for you and this day.” As my life and my relationship with God started getting better with each passing day, I still had a loneliness and desired to be in a relationship. Suzette and I had discussed my life without her, and she knew I didn’t like to be alone. She told me many times not to feel bad and it was okay to move on and find someone. One day, I was walking Suzette‘s little dog and I saw Nancy walking across the street. I looked once, then twice. The Nancy that I had never before noticed, but casually knew from the neighborhood and occasionally said hello to, was suddenly a really good looking woman and was rocking a cute sundress. I knew right then and there I was going to ask if she was available to date the next time I saw her. That day came while I was sitting on my patio and saw her and a friend riding their bicycles. I got up when I saw them coming, asked Nancy out, and after that first date, we have been inseparable. During our 17-month courtship, we invited God into our relationship and did nothing to dishonor Him or ourselves.

We had a Christmas wedding, and praise God for second chances!

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Watch a video of Jim & Nancy sharing more of their resurrection story here:

"There Are Good Times Yet to be Had"