Charles Coston
Honor Guard Service; Tahoma National Cemetery; Kent, WA
1:15 PM PST on Thursday, October 24, 2013
At his 90th birthday party, Charles delivered his life story…
I come from a dysfunctional family. My father abandoned his family and I was raised by my mother. Shortly after I graduated from high school, my mother suffered a severe stroke. I had little exposure to religion, but I remembered that there was supposed to be a God to whom one could pray to in times of distress, so I prayed desperately asking God to heal my mother. God never answered my prayers, so I decided if there really was a God, He was an impersonal God, who didn’t care about people and I turned my back on Him. I enlisted in the Navy, served 21 years, married, no children, retired, had a successful career in business, and then my wife died. Outwardly, during those adult years, I seemed to be a man, who had his life pretty much together.I had the material things that spell success, but inwardly there was an emptiness that nothing seemed to fill.My achievements, material things and pleasures gave me no lasting satisfaction. I was searching for something, I knew not what, but something that would give meaning and purpose to my life. My conscious was burdened by the wrong things I had done, and there were many. I tried rationalizing that as long as I only hurt myself and no one else it was OK. I could take a bath, put on a clean shirt and I was alright, but the guilt was still there and I was helpless to change my life.
I remarried and my wife presented me with a beautiful son. I had often thought that perhaps a child would fill the void in my life and give it meaning, but I soon discovered that a child was not the answer.Then, one day, a friend invited my wife to church where she began attending regularly
and she became a Christian by accepting Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord. The next two months were pure agony. We had nothing in common; it was as if we lived in two different worlds. My wife told me that God loved me so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for me. If I would only trust Him as my Savior and Lord, He would not only give me a life after death, but He would change my life now. He would take away the guilt of my sins, fill the void in my life, and give it meaning and purpose. I was a very proud man, taking pride in that I was a self-made man. So I wrestled with God for two months until one morning lying on my bed after a sleepless night, I came face to face with the truth. My life and marriage were a shambles and I was helpless to do anything about it.My stubborn will and pride crumbled and I prayed this simple prayer. “Jesus, I surrender.I don’t know what it is all about yet, but I will trust you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for dying for me so that my sins may be forgiven. Please come into my heart and life and change it from what it is now. There was no great emotional experience, but I was filled with an inner peace unlike anything I had ever known. Since then, Jesus has proved Himself to me in many ways. He healed our marriage and enabled me to truly love my wife and son. He freed me from the guilt of sin and changed my life. He filled my life with a joy and peace that nothing or no one can ever take away. I am now a child of God and my future is assured; my life has meaning and purpose. My life isn’t problem free, but I don’t have to face the trials and temptations alone for Jesus is my constant companion, who gives me His strength to face the problems of each day.
Another is “I came that they might have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10).
If there is someone here who is as I once was, lost, hopeless and helpless, I urge you to consider the claims of Christ, that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He alone can bring you to God and free you from the bondage of sin. He alone can make something beautiful of your life and give you a glorious forever. I urge you to sincerely pray this prayer…
“Heavenly Father, I have sinned against you. I want forgiveness for all my sins. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again. Further, I give you my life to do with as you wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
If you prayed that prayer, please call Crossroads Bible Church 425-747-6750, tell someone what you did, and ask how you can grow in your faith. May you sense the peace, presence, and protection of Christ, because He Lives!