Jim Shull

My parents were good people but they never attended church. When I was a boy, I would walk to a nearby church and learned a little about God.

When I was 17, I enlisted in the US Coast Guard/Merchant Marines during World War II and came home from overseas after the war was over.

I met and married my beautiful wife, Ruby. She was a Christian and taught Sunday school. I was a selfish person who knew very little about the Bible or God’s love.

One day Ruby told me Billy Graham was coming to preach in Columbia and wanted us to attend. We went on Sunday afternoon, February 27, 1950. The Township Auditorium was full and we left. As we were leaving, an elderly crippled gentleman ran after us and said “You all come on back. They’re putting chairs and speakers in the basement.” So we went back and sat in the basement. We didn’t see Billy that day but heard him preach the gospel. He quoted Jesus as saying, “no man cometh to me except the Holy Spirit who sent me draws him.” That afternoon, the Holy Spirit drew me big time and I went to the counseling room with tears of joy and asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart.

On the way home, Ruby asked me “don’t you feel good?” I replied “I feel like a load has been lifted.”

God replaced my selfishness with love and kindness toward others. He made me happy and I know I’ll live for eternity with Him in heaven. Since that day it has been my life mission to help other people know this Jesus who changed my life.

Jim Shull