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Redneck Rubs Off On Betty

Austin Gardner • September 2, 2022

You never know when a 410 shotgun might come in handy in the Lord's work

versión en español a continuación


We were still living in the basement at my friend's house in our second church. Night time had fallen, and there was a chill in the air. Both my friend and I were gone in our cars. So no vehicle was left at home. 


Betty stayed home watching their son and Chris while the pastor's wife walked several blocks up the hill to the church. She had gone to get the bulletins printed for Sunday AM.


She called Betty scared to death. You know how church buildings can make sounds when you are there alone. She heard someone in the building. There were no extra cars there. No one was supposed to be in the building. 


So the pastor's wife locked herself in the secretary's office and called Betty to come to help her. She was sure someone was in the building and might be going to hurt her.


Betty left the boys in bed asleep. Betty didn't know what to do, but she was married to a redneck, remember? She could walk up the big hill to the church in less than ten minutes.


She told her friend she would take my ole 410 shotgun to free our friend who felt like a hostage in the church.


Betty put on a poncho or cape. She loaded the 410 shotgun, stuck the barrel down her pant leg, and walked stiff-legged up the hill to the church. At night, she couldn't just walk with the gun out in her arms in a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. 


She got to the church and found the pastor's wife. They then, with weapons drawn, searched the church. They found no one after doing their diligent police tactic clearing the building. 


Betty then helped our friend get home. They were both scared. There had been no danger other than the "spirit" moving through the building.


Now you know Betty had been working on me a lot. I was learning to dress more like a person with some raising. When Betty met me, I wore pants with diagonal stripes and my shirt with vertical lines. I was a walking illusion in my ever-present cowboy boots. I had no idea that I wasn't well dressed. My mother had picked out the clothes. At least they weren't blue jeans. 


So by now, she was dressing me pretty well. But I was still affecting her. She had learned to carry a shotgun slipped in her pants leg and poncho, walk ten minutes straight-legged uphill, protect her friend and get her back home.


God gives us spouses that are "exactly" what we need. I thank God that He has worked in my life and done things in me that I had no idea He was doing. God gave me my wife. He made her perfect for me. He blesses me every day.


God gave me a woman that could adapt to living anywhere God called us. He wants to do the same in your life. Do not ever think you are in this alone. God is at work in your life.



Get the whole story


Betty, the love of my life 1

The Call 2

Hay Day of my Life 3

"The bro zone!" Like a brother 4

A Giant Heart 5

The tractor ride 6

Never Really Dated! 7

Shocked & Surprised 8

Good News 9

Finding an acorn 10

Scared my dad! 11

Send that hillbilly hiking 12

Who's chasing who? 13

Betty meets my grandmother 14

The longest summer ever 15

Reckless Redneck 16

Honeymoon 17

Separated for the first time 18

We are going to make it 19

Our first ministry 20

We needed a mentor 21

A Mother's Jealousy 22

My sister wanted to marry me 23

Holidays as a Married Couple 24

"Baby Fever" Hits 25

Beauty Sleeping 26

Our First Fight 27

We held Willie B. at gunpoint till the cops arrived 28

The Day Finally Came 29

Learn Some Gun Safety 30

God's Calling on our Lives 31

First Attempts at Soul Winning Evangelism 32

Proud Dad 33

Learning to Give 34

My First Drink of Alcohol 35

Our Next Big Fight 36


Se le pegó lo campesino a Betty 


Todavía vivíamos en el sótano de la casa de mi amigo en nuestra segunda iglesia. Había caído la noche y el aire estaba frío. Tanto mi amigo como yo nos habíamos ido en nuestros autos. Así que ningún vehículo se quedó en casa.


Betty se quedó en casa cuidando al hijo de ellos y a Chris mientras la esposa del pastor caminaba varias cuadras colina arriba hasta la iglesia. Había ido a imprimir los boletines del domingo por la mañana.


Llamó a Betty muerta de miedo. Sabes cómo los edificios de la iglesia pueden hacer sonidos cuando estás solo allí. Oyó a alguien en el edificio. No habían carros extras allí. Se suponía que nadie debía estar en el edificio.


Entonces la esposa del pastor se encerró en la oficina de la secretaria y llamó a Betty para que viniera a ayudarla. Estaba segura de que alguien estaba en el edificio y podría lastimarla.


Betty dejó a los niños dormidos en la cama. Betty no sabía qué hacer, pero estaba casada con un campesino, ¿recuerdas? Podía subir la gran colina hasta la iglesia en menos de diez minutos.


Le dijo a su amiga que tomaría mi vieja escopeta 410 para liberar a nuestra amiga que se sentía como un rehén en la iglesia.


Betty se puso un poncho o una capa. Cargó la escopeta 410, metió el cañón en la pierna de su pantalón y caminó con las piernas rígidas colina arriba hasta la iglesia. Por la noche, no podía simplemente caminar con el arma en los brazos en un suburbio de Birmingham, Alabama.


Llegó a la iglesia y encontró a la esposa del pastor. Luego, con las armas afuera, revisaron la iglesia. No encontraron a nadie después de hacer su diligente táctica policial para limpiar el edificio.

 

Betty luego ayudó a nuestra amiga a llegar a casa. Ambos estaban asustadas. No había habido otro peligro que el "espíritu" que se movía por el edificio.


Ahora ya sabes que Betty había estado trabajando mucho en mí. Estaba aprendiendo a vestirme más como una persona con cierta crianza. Cuando Betty me conoció, usaba pantalones con rayas diagonales y mi camisa con líneas verticales. Yo era una ilusión andante con mis siempre presentes botas de vaquero. No tenía idea de que no estaba bien vestido. Mi madre había elegido la ropa. Por lo menos no eran jeans azules.


Así que por ahora, ella me estaba vistiendo bastante bien. Pero todavía la estaba afectando. Había aprendido a llevar una escopeta metida en la pierna del pantalón y debajo del poncho, caminar diez minutos cuesta arriba con las piernas rectas, proteger a su amiga y llevarla de vuelta a casa.


Dios nos da cónyuges que son "exactamente" lo que necesitamos. Doy gracias a Dios que ha obrado en mi vida y ha hecho cosas en mí que no tenía idea de que estaba haciendo. Dios me dio a mi esposa. Él la hizo perfecta para mí. Él me bendice todos los días.


Dios me dio una mujer que podía adaptarse a vivir en cualquier lugar que Dios nos llamara. Él quiere hacer lo mismo en tu vida. Nunca pienses que estás solo en esto. Dios está obrando en tu vida.


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