Daddy’s Girl Comes to Know the Father

My name is Ginger Turner. I was born in New Mexico, but because my father was in the military, we moved around and at the age of eleven, finally landed in Colorado, where my dad retired.

While growing up, my parents–although good people, were not Christians. I can remember parties at our house where beer was the drink of choice, but to my recollection, no one got drunk. Life was as American as apple pie and we lived a “normal” good life, like everyone else.

Then my father got cancer... This fact caused him to re-evaluate his life. His mother and sister were Godly Christians who had been telling him of Christ for years. My dad finally began to listen to them and surrendered his life to God in salvation. Our lives totally changed from then on! We were not the all-American family we once were. We became “church people”! My dad’s cancer was successfully removed and my dad joined a Southern Baptist Church. He jumped in to serving God with both feet! He ran a bus route and I was his little helper. I was a daddy’s girl and would have done anything for him. When around the age of seven he asked me if I wanted to be a Christian too, I was all for it! I made a profession of faith, was baptized and I lived this “good girl” Christian life for the next few years.

Unbeknownst to me, my father was diagnosed with Leukemia and was told that he had two years to live. It was at this time that my father retired from the Air Force and we moved to Colorado. We found an Independent Baptist Church just a few blocks from our house and became members there. Once again, my father submerged himself in the work of the church. This “daddy’s girl” continued to help him and serve with him. I attended our church’s Christian School, taught children’s church and had my own bus route. I even witnessed to my friends. Christianity was a way of life for me.

Two years passed this way and my dad was still with us. I still did not know of his Leukemia diagnosis. Sitting in church one Sunday, for the first time I began to realize that I was living my life for my dad and not for God. I understood the price that Jesus Christ paid for sin on the cross and saw it has something He did for the whole world. But now I saw it as something personal...for me and for my sin. I was beginning to see how I had been so proud of my good behavior. I thought I was better than others because I never got into trouble, and I had memorized so much of God’s Word. That day, I saw the Truth. My pride became filthy to me, as it already was in God’s sight.

There is a portion of scripture that revealed to me my heart and my condition: Matthew 7:21-23 “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

It was then that I knew that my profession of faith was not based on God’s Word. I had not been doing the Father’s will, I was doing my earthly father’s will. My dad meant so much to me that I did not want to shame him. I thought that if I confessed that my salvation profession was a lie, that I would embarrass him. Everyone, (I thought) believed me to be a good little Christian girl. But I was just religious....and lost.

For a month I wrestled with God over this. I prayed many times privately and secretly for God to save me. I had already been living “the Christian life” so what was the difference if I were to get saved at home and keep on living as I had? I was so consumed with what others thought that I didn’t want to admit that I had been living a lie. At one point, I became so distraught about this, that I considered suicide. Right away you know that this confusion is not coming from God, but from Satan himself! I began to realize that I was still trying to do things my own way rather than God’s and I knew my sin of pride was the worst sin imaginable! That is the same sin that Satan had! I knew too, that I deserved to pay for that sin, just as Satan will, in a hell prepared for him. At that point in my life, I told myself that I would rather pay for my own sin than to confess the truth about myself and embarrass my earthly father. What lies Satan can cause us to believe!

Then God began to show me His love! I had known John 3:16 for so many years, but when the Holy Spirit tells you that verse ....it means something more! I knew that God did not create hell for humans. He gave His only Son to pay for our sin so that we wouldn’t have to go to the devil’s hell. He loved me that much! And here I was...about to throw that away.

Finally, I let go. Satan tried one last time to keep me from going forward in church that next service. The thought, “But, everyone will think that you are a liar”, crossed my mind. Then I thought, “I am a liar!” That night as a 13 year old girl, I confessed my sin of pride and accepted God’s wonderful gift of grace! I was saved in an instant! From then on my life was filled with a purpose for Him. This genuine salvation was much different than what I had before. Now, I was able to trust in God and not in man!

When my dad finally told me of his leukemia, I knew that God loved me and that He would take care of that too...according to His perfect, loving will. I was still “a daddy’s girl” but I had given him to God too. Though my heart was sad, I had a peace that I could not put into words.
Looking back, I know that God preserved my father’s life so that I could find real salvation, because he was the example of a Godly Christian in my life. My dad lived a surrendered life to God and accepted his terminal disease. He lived 13 years with leukemia.....11 years more than the doctors had first given him. They could not understand how he lived so long. I know how.....

Today, more than thirty years later, I can look back and tell you that even when I may fail Him, that God is a faithful Father and will bring us through every trial that comes our way. He has given me more and more reasons to love and trust in Him. “His yoke is easy and His burden is light.”

What am I here for?

I have a purpose to live my life for God and to help others who do not know Christ as their personal Saviour, to come to know Him. I have a burden for teenagers, because that was the most critical time in my life and I know how Satan wants to ruin young people’s lives.

I am so thankful that when I saw myself as a wretched sinner...that God helped me see His love for me at the same time. He is still there, waiting to show others the same love and forgiveness.