Buggs_Bugnon
I never really thought of God in my growing up years. I knew there was a God, I just took Him for granted.
As a boy, I went to Sunday School and church with my mother. Throughthe years we tried out different churches. There was the church on thecorner, and the little nondenominational church in the New Jerseywoods, where my friends went. I remember a great Sunday School teacherI had in my teens. He was always planning excursions and things for usto do on Saturdays. In thinking back, he never once mentioned the”Good News”.
I was about 15 when my Dad first went to church with the family. Weall began to enjoy the Little Church In the Woods. I become moreinvolved. As an usher, I sang in the choir and attended YouthFellowship, but still no one ever told me the “Good News” of theGospel.
After Navy boot camp, I was stationed in Green Cove Springs,Florida. There I met a fellow who was different from the other youngNavy men. He didn’t swear, or drink, or run after women. I thought allsailors did those things. I watched him. I wondered why he was sodifferent. One Sunday evening, after returning from church, heexplained the “Good News” to me. For the first time in my life I heardthat God loved me so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to diefor me, and that if I believed on Him I would not perish, but haveeverlasting life. He explained John 3:16 to me. I was soon transferredand never heard from him again. It was to be over three years before Iheard any more about Jesus Christ.
I married Kathy, started a family, completed my Navy enlistment, gota job with a major insurance company. Shortly after Kathy startedworking, her boss invited me to a Christian Business Men’s Committee(CBMC) dinner meeting. After a splendid meal, I heard the “Good News”again. It came in the form of a personal testimony from a verysuccessful business man, Stanley Tam, of Lima, Ohio. He shared whatJesus Christ had done in his life and what Jesus would do for those ofus who were listening. Right there, I accepted Jesus Christ as mypersonal Saviour. I confessed my sins to Jesus and asked Him to comeinto my heart. I now had the “Good News” I was looking for. I calledon the Lord in faith. I was born again.
That evening was a turning point in my life. I started attendingchurch for fellowship with other Christians. I began reading my Bibleand praying every day. As I became aware of the power of sin in mylife, I tried to deal with it. Unfortunately, I tried to do it myself,and not through the power of the Lord Jesus. As I watched otherChristians, I knew I should stop certain bad habits. I was glad tostop them, but I know now that I stopped most of those things becauseother people had done so and I was just following suit. As I look backon my life I see that I was living on other peoples’ convictions andnot on my personal walk with the Lord.
It is true, “old things passed away and all things became new”,except my mind. The Bible also says to the committed Christian, “be yetransformed by the renewing of your mind.” I let my mind stay as ithad always been, and that got me into lots of trouble. If I had onlyasked Christ to change my mind through His Word and by hiding His Wordin my heart, I would not have turned my back on Him when my time oftesting came. Under heavy trials, I became discouraged and turned awayfrom the Lord. I lost a home, two good jobs and almost my family. Godwas certainly doing His part. He was talking to me, but I was notlistening.
Amidst the turmoil I reenlisted in the Navy and we started attendingchurch on and off mostly off. Kathy and I put our marriage backtogether and began to enjoy an excellent relationship. We made plansto do a lot of things together, but within four months Kathy was killedan automobile accident; she was hit by a drunk driver. I felt my lifehad ended. God was speaking to me again; and again I did not listen. Icontinued to turn my back on Him. I felt I now had a good reason notto listen to God.
For the next fifteen years I continued to walk the way I wanted towalk. Not long after the tragedy I married Ann, who like myself hadrecently lost her mate. I had three daughters, ages six, five and fourand she had a three year old son. We needed each other. Again my lifewas from day to day, making the best of what we had, never thinking ofspiritual things. Finally, although everything in our family appearedto be normal, I informed Ann I was filing for divorce.
I told her I did not love her, and maybe I never did love her. Wewere separated for almost four months when I received the divorcepapers in the mail. All I had to do was to sign them and mail themback to my attorney, and in ten days I would be divorced. I startedthinking–there must be more to a marriage than getting married, havingsomeone raise your children and then getting a divorce. I called Annand asked to meet with her. We talked for almost the whole weekend. After the second weekend together, we decided to try to put ourmarriage back together.
In July ’84 I had burned out as a drug and alcohol counselor for theNavy and was sent to Jacksonville Alcohol Rehabilitation Center foroutpatient therapy. The senior counselor confronted me and wanted toknow what was going on in my life, what I needed, what I wanted andwhat he could do for me. I was the counselee instead of the counselor,and I was most uncomfortable. He reminded me of the third step in atwelve step recovery program, “make a decision to turn our will and ourlives over to God as we understand Him.”
That evening I made the second most important decision in my life. I knew what God had wanted of me for a long time. I did it. Iconfessed my long list of sins and dedicated my life to Jesus Christ. I could have done that at any time those past fifteen years. Whattrouble and pain I could have avoided. It was I who had turned my backon Him. He was there, for me, all the time.
I am convinced that God worked with me through those trail years toteach me to trust Him. What a blessing. I know now that He wants me toshare His “Good News” with family and friends and the entire world. Ann and I and our whole family are happy in the Lord. We now have apurpose in life, and it’s exciting to see what new things each day maybring.
Life gets better and better every day. I’m not saying I don’t haveany more problems. I now have someone in my life I can talk to andturn those problems over to. What a joy it is, knowing “My God shallsupply all your need according to His riches in glory by ChristJesus”(Philippians 4:19).
Robert O. “Buggs” Bugnon. Bob has been in the Navy for 26 years. He is a Naval Aviation Ordnanceman and has served several years as adrug and alcohol rehabilitation counselor. He is now a logisticsanalyst for NADOC, NATC Patuxent River, MD. He is chairman of theLexington Park Christian Business Men’s Committee (CBMC). He is veryactive in his home church as a Sunday School teacher and a home BibleStudy Teacher.
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not oneRomans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, anddeath by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all havesinned
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God[is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while wewere yet sinners, Christ died for us
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the LordJesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him fromthe dead, thou shalt be saved
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation
Romans 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on himshall not be ashamed
Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and theGreek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lordshall be saved
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any manhear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will supwith him, and he with me
Robert O. “Buggs” BUGNON