Chapter 4

(1979-82)

When I first got saved, my sister-in-law, Andrea, came over and asked me if religious shows were all I could get on my TV.

I said, "No, but that's all I want to watch." Then I said, "I wanted to tell you something. You're welcome in my home anytime, but when you've got the devil with you, leave him outside the door before you come in,"

She was quiet for a few minutes and I said, "I don't want you mad at me; I just want to live my life for Christ and I can't have the devil around tempting me to fall back into my old ways."

"Oh, I'm not mad at you," she said, "I'm just going to tell people to be careful what they say to you or you'll think they're possessed."

Well, after that she stayed away from my house for the most part. She's show up everty few months and tell me she was clean, showing me her arms. But I never believed her. I could tell by the way she acted that she was still shooting speed.

One day I got a call from my friend Elaine.

"Sheila," she said, "I'm worried about my sister's friend Terri. She says she's going to kill herself. She's got it all planned. She wants to do it on her birthday. Will you pray for her, please?"

"Of course I'll pray for her."

"Thanks. I'll talk to you later and let you know how she's doing."

"Okay, bye."

I had no sooner put the phone down than it rang again. It was one of my new Christian friends, Tom.

"Good morning, Sheila. How's it going?"

"Okay, except I need to ask you to pray for a friend of a friend. Her name's Terri and she says she's going to kill herself."

"Okay, let's pray right now."

"Over the phone?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Okay."

Tom began praying, "Lord Jesus, we thank You that You love us even when we don't yet know You. Please be with Terri. Keep her from dying by her own hand so she can learn of You."

"Yes Jesus, thank You for your love and deliverance."

"Praise God!" Tom exclaimed. "It's done! He's already answered the prayer! She won't take her own life!"

"How do you know?"

"The Holy Spirit told me so."

"Okay, I'll take your word for it."

About two years later, Andrea showed up at my door. She held out her arms and, crying, she said, "I'm clean. I've given my heart to Christ and I'm off the needle."

She told me how a friend helped her through the withdrawals while she gave up shooting speed. She moved in with me and started going to church with me.

One night we decided to go visit another friend who still worked in a bar. We went into the dressing room to find Jodi and another dancer turned around. Seeing Andrea she cried out, "Andrea!"

Andrea cried out, "Terri!"

They hugged and Andrea said, "I want you to meet my sister-in-law…"

Before she finished, Terri saw me and said, "Sheila!"

"Terri," I exclaimed, and we hugged. Andrea just looked back and forth with her mouth hanging open.

We visited with Terri and Jodi for a few minutes then we left. On the way home, Andrea asked me how I knew Terri.

"She used to be the best friend of my best friend's younger sister and sometimes we'd all hang out together. How do you know her?"

"We were roommates and we even had a suicide pact at one time."

I felt chills go down my spine. "What do you mean?"

"We decided that this world was such a rotten place that we wanted to leave it and take our kids with us. We closed all the windows and doors and stuffed rags in any openings. Then we turned off the pilots on the gas range and turned on all the burners and the oven, leaving the oven door open. We put the kids down for their naps and lay down with them."

"What happened?" I asked.

"I'm not really sure," she answered. "Just as I was dozing off, I came wide awake and thought, 'What am I doing?' I jumped up and turned off the stove and opened all the doors and windows. Terri was furious, but I just knew I couldn't go through with it."

I told her about Elaine calling to ask me to pray for Terri not to commit suicide. "Isn't God good?" I asked. "Even though I thought I was only praying for Terri, He knew you and the kids needed it too."