Saved by Grace: We Can Overcome Obstacles in Our Life

By April Uphold

Silver Lay was a college graduate, having a difficult time getting a job she really wanted. She worked as a substitute teacher and a tax collectors helper in her hometown, but she always wanted to leave and go to the city to accomplish her dreams. She believed things would really be better for her in the city. She thought that she would get the kind of job she always wanted and make the kind of money she'd dreamed she would have. Silver Lay wanted very much to be able to take care of her small family. She wanted to live the American dream by getting her a decent job, but obstacles were always present. She struggled through many of her obstacles until she finally accomplished her dreams. The one thing that she had left out her life was God and his grace. When Silver Lay finally reached her breaking point, she could hear something in her head saying, "Try God." She went into her closet and cried out to God, and he came to her rescue. She was so glad that he did. Now, with the help of God, she was back in control of her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Feb 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490821603

April Uphold

April Uphold enjoys reading, writing and sewing. She is a church board member and a Sunday school teacher at her local church. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening. She is the mother of two children and the grandmother of ten.

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Copyright © 2014 April Uphold.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-2159-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2158-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2160-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014900084

WestBow Press rev. date: 01/15/2014

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1

Life in the Delta

Chapter 2

Life in Chicago

Chapter 3

Back in the Delta

Chapter 4

Another Apartment

Chapter 5

Max’s Concerns

Chapter 6

Welcome Home Again

Chapter 7

Max’s Secrets

Chapter 8

Strings of Harassment

Chapter 9

Being Depressed

Chapter 10

Breaking Point

Chapter 11

Regaining Her Life through Christ

Acknowledgments

I give thanks to God first.

For their helpful comments, support, and encouragement, I would like to thank Keyanton Stewart, Sheldon Lee, Bryan Stewart, Brandon Stewart, and Brittany Stewart. Special thanks to Bryson Stewart and all the people that helped make this possible.

Introduction

A young lady named Silver Lay was a college graduate. She was having a difficult time getting a job that she really wanted. She worked as a substitute teacher and tax preparer in her hometown of Indianola, but she always wanted to leave her hometown and go to the city and accomplish her dreams. She believed things would really be better for her in the city. She thought she would get the kind of job that she always wanted and make the kind of money she always dreamed of having. She wanted very much to be able to take care of her small family. She wanted to live the American dream by getting a decent-paying job, but obstacles were always present. She struggled through many of her obstacles and finally accomplished her dream.

CHAPTER 1

Life in the Delta

One summer day, Silver Lay was talking on the telephone as she sat on the porch of her home in a small community called Southgate. She shared the home with her four-year-old daughter, Danielle, as well as her oldest sister, Earnestine. Up the street about six houses to the right lived her other sister, Sugar. Her sister Money lived one block south of Sugar. About eight blocks north lived her brother Woodrow.

Woodrow would always come to their house before work and eat dinner. It was as if Earnestine was cooking just for him. Once he finished with his meal, he would prepare to leave for work. It never failed that before he left for work he would always kiss someone on the forehead. I never knew why he did that. I can only imagine that this was his way of thanking them for the meal that he had eaten. I can still hear those words echoing in my mind: Come on and give me some sugar. Silver Lay’s four-year-old daughter was the recipient of most of his kisses because she would be standing by the door upon his departure. He would pick her up and kiss her on the forehead, and then he would leave for work. I can only imagine that this must have made his day, because he did this for several years.

Right after Woodrow left for work one day, Sugar pulled up in her new Oldsmobile that she had bought from the filling station. Sugar blew her horn at Silver Lay and parked the car in the driveway. Silver Lay then hung the telephone up and asked Sugar to get out of the car and come on in. So Sugar did just that and came in and spoke to Earnestine and Silver Lay’s daughter. Sugar is the type of person who always jokes around, and that day was no different. Silver Lay started dressing her daughter while engaging in a conversation with Sugar. Sugar asked Silver Lay, Are you sending Danielle to a ballet recital? meaning the child’s clothes were too tight—skin tight—and looked like something a ballerina would wear. They all laughed.

Earnestine looked at Sugar and said, You must not have checked the mirror before leaving the house this morning, because you are a lady, but look at how tight your clothes are—skin tight. They all laughed again and continued to enjoy each other’s company. They sat around joking for a little while longer, and then Sugar decided to go to the hospital.

She turned and asked Silver Lay if she would go to the hospital with her to visit their cousin. Silver Lay agreed to go with Sugar, while Earnestine agreed to stay home with Silver Lay’s daughter. Silver Lay and Sugar went out and got into her new Oldsmobile and headed to the hospital.

As they entered the hospital and started walking toward their cousin’s room they could not help but to notice this tall, slim, handsome, well-groomed young man. He appeared to be in his twenties. He approached them and then proceeded to introduce himself to Silver Lay and Sugar as Max. He went on to tell them that he was from Florida and was down here visiting his aunt, who was in the hospital. Sugar introduced herself and then introduced Silver Lay as her baby sister.

Sugar let her introduction reflect that they were locals from right there in the Delta. Sugar and Silver Lay then turned with big smiles on their faces and, looking each other straight in the eye, mouthed the word Max. They quickly turned back around and said, Welcome, Max, to the Delta. Max thanked them and went on to tell them about his aunt, whom he was visiting in the hospital. The young ladies said that they were visiting their cousin, who was also in the hospital, and they thought they would bring a little cheer to him. At that moment it seemed as though a light bulb came on in Max’s head; he opened his eyes wide and suggested that they visit each other’s relatives and bring cheer to both his aunt and their cousin. Silver Lay and Sugar thought that was a great idea, so they quickly agreed.

They walked to his aunt’s room and knocked on the door, and his aunt asked them to come in. When she saw that it was family, she was very happy. Max introduced Silver Lay and Sugar to his aunt Sail. After he introduced them, they all started talking about how his aunt Sail was doing and when she would be released from the hospital. She replied, I hope very soon. Sugar told Max’s aunt Sail that she hoped that she would feel better soon, and she also told her to have a good day. Aunt Sail said to come back again. They all said good-bye and started walking down the hall to visit Silver Lay and Sugar’s cousin.

They stopped in front of their cousin’s room and knocked