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Testimonies
I always believed in the existence of God. I was taught as a youngster that He created the world and all things in it. I believed in the virgin birth and in the crucifixion and in the resurrection.
What I didn't believe in was God's love for me and His belief in my eventual redemption. I had gone to church and had a passing acquaintance with the scriptures, but I had never developed a personal relationship with Him.
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I
grew up and joined the United States Air Force
after graduating from high school and served my
country in Viet Nam and in Europe. During that
time I was married and had two children. Believing
that religious training was important, I sent
my children to Sunday school, and to church. I,
however, did not attend.
After almost eleven
years in the Air Force, I joined the Redondo Beach,
Ca. Police Department, and then moved on to the
Hawthorne Police Department. There I met a young
surfer named Joseph Travers, and we have remained
life-long friends.
Joseph and I worked
together extensively during the ensuing years
in both Investigations and Security Management.
One notable case involved my testimony in a legal
battle between an outlaw motorcycle gang vs. a
police department incident that Joseph and I were
both involved in. I remember that the L. A. Times
characterized me as "looking more like a country
and western singer than a police officer".
Very often we would
have highly animated discussions, punctuated with
the most colorful adjectives, about things in
general while enjoying the hospitality of the
local ale house or gentleman's club. (I was divorced
by this time.) For several years after that, I
involved myself with motorcycles and the motorcycle
culture. I even was a "patch holder" with one
of the more notorious motorcycle gangs of the
Southwest for a time.
Over the years Joseph
and I always kept in contact, so you can imagine
my surprise when I was visiting him for thanksgiving
and he invited me to accompany him to church.
I thought that this must be just another dodge
to meet women, and I was game for it.
When I realized that
Joseph was serious about his new-found spirituality,
it caused me to trot out and re-examine my own.
Miraculously, I found the Lord, or should I say,
the Lord found me, and was able to finally have
a personal relationship with Him. I have since
rededicated my life to Jesus and have tried to
adjust my life accordingly. The Lord led me to
the most beautiful Christian woman and I now enjoy
a wonderful and blessed life. Thank you God, and
thanks to you too Joseph.
Dana D. Griffith
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