Call Me Blessed

By Janis Fort

I know this book was inspired by the Lord. I thought the Lord was telling me to write the book, but I am not a writer. Then one day, it was clear to me that the title should be Call Me Blessed even though I never considered myself blessed due to the terrible circumstances I lived through. In the process of writing this book, I can see that the Lord was with me every step of my life. I pray that as you read my story, you will be able to see how the Lord can comfort you through all your pain and suffering. I'm now just about seventy and finally able to make sense of my life. You belong to an awesome God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9781639611782

Book preview

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Call Me Blessed

Janis Fort

ISBN 978-1-63961-177-5 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63961-178-2 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Janis Fort

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

To my Lord Jesus Christ. He allowed me to go through the pain and suffering. Without my past, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

Also, my dear brother, Eric, who was devoted to protecting me even though he was only a child himself. Then my husband and two precious children who are now parents themselves. I have five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Call me blessed!

Before writing this book, I prayed for months the Lord would grant me wisdom and discernment. Before writing, I would pray for the Lord to guide my mind and my thoughts and for me to be honest with my words and actions. I prayed to be pleasing to the Lord. It’s my sincere desire for all wounded, hurt, and broken-hearted people to receive a blessing from the Lord after reading my book. I want to encourage and inspire you that whatever you are going through, you will make it. And yes, you will become a better person for going through it. Count all things a blessing from the Lord. My heart’s desire is to share my life with all the tribulations I’ve lived through in hopes it will touch your heart and your life. Know the Lord will never leave you.

For several years, I’ve felt the Lord calling me to write, but I’m not a writer. At times, I even felt it was my mind playing tricks on me, so I waited. Then one day out of the blue—call me blessed, oh my, that’s the name of my book—I knew I need to write. I never considered what I’ve gone through to be a blessed person. My life has been so complicated, twisted, and ripped apart. It will take my Lord’s help to write.

I have PTSD, which I found out when I was about forty years old, along with many other health issues.

I personally have gone to the darkest place possible to still be here to tell my story. I know how depression can engulf you, but I beg of you when you think you can’t take one more minute just look up and call out the name of Jesus. Repeat. Repeat.

In order for you to understand my story, we must go to the two sides of my grandparents. My grandparents on my mom’s side are the Pierces. My granddaddy Pierce was a hardworking farmer. Grandmother Pierce was a hardworking housewife and a praying woman like you’ve never seen before. On a Sunday, they would load up the horse and buggy to go to church. Grandmother Pierce had five children, three girls and two boys. My mom was the second born. Mom would talk about the thrill of going to church, gospel, singing, and having dinner on the grounds.

Granddaddy lived off the land. He was a farmer and had a smoke house. He would fatten up his pigs until they couldn’t walk, then he would smoke them. He would grow his crops then put all his vegetables on the buggy then go to town to sell all he had. This, of all days, should be the most exciting day because he would have money to buy shoes for his five children or whatever they needed.

His journey was always the same. He would go to Georgiana, Alabama, to sell, then he would go straight to the ABC store to buy whiskey. He would come home drunk with very little money in his pocket if any. Then he would beat grandmother.

Back in those days, your wife was your property, so the husband could do whatever he wanted and not get in trouble by the law. Grandmother was a godly woman who didn’t condone divorce. Her community was so small she didn’t have to talk about the beatings. Everyone knew. I often wondered why the preacher didn’t try to help her. She never complained about her hardships, her disappointments, or any of her own needs, which I’m sure she had a lot. She never let it be known.

Grandmother was a godly woman in the Lord. Back in those days, flour came in big cotton