His Grace Is Sufficient

By B. S. Fleming

We are all works in progress; therefore, the challenge is not in never falling down. The challenge is in getting up and trying again.

I truly believe that each of us has a story to tell. As a matter of fact, as I was writing this book, many people shared with me that they had a story they wanted to tell. It is my sincere hope that sharing the challenges I encountered in life and how I got through those challenges will provide motivation and inspiration as you go through your life challenges.

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. (Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings)

This book is written for young, old, male, and female alike. It is a story of challenge, faith, courage, and determination. The examples in this story reaffirm that all things are possible through God and that if we develop a relationship through worship, prayer, and study, when he speaks to us, we will hear him loudly and clearly. We need to understand that it is not enough to just hear God when he speaks to us, but we must be obedient and do what he tells us to do.

Belief, faith, and trust in God are what brought me through the challenges in my life. Even during those times when I wanted to give up, I continued to believe, and in many cases, my faith grew stronger because I knew he was with me and that his grace would carry me through whatever it was I was going through.

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

Please enjoy reading my story and know that it has been written with sincerity, love, and prayer. Know that this book is a gift from God that I share as a gift to you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098093006

Book preview

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His Grace Is Sufficient

B. S. Fleming

Copyright © 2021 by B. S. Fleming

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

The Early Years

Moving a New Life and First Love

Graduation and Becoming a Young Adult

Birth and Rebirth

Taking Responsibility for My Life

If You Want It, You Need to Ask for It

Because He Jump into the Arms of Jesus, I Got a New Life in Christ Jesus

A Life in Transition

Someone Special

Loss and Acceptance

This book is dedicated to my father, Howard, and mother, Brenda. I thank them for their love and sacrifice. They were loving but stern, and it is because of them that I am the person that I am today. Mother and Daddy taught me about the importance of family, hard work, honesty, and integrity in all that you do. Last but not least, Mother and Daddy made sure all of us children had God in our lives because in the end, I believe that God’s grace is what carries us through.

I also dedicate this book to the rest of my family who, in many ways, was always supportive. To my son who is struggling with his own challenges but in the end will achieve his goals. Last but not least, I dedicate this book to my church family and friends who never left my side for one moment and were always there when I needed them.

When my mom told me she was writing a memoir, type book, I can honestly say that I was not surprised. The portion of her life that I have witnessed has been nothing short of amazing. She is a phenomenal Woman in every possible way. That having been said, those of you that know my Mother are aware of her unwillingness to mince words. She is arguably one of the most straightforward people on the planet. So, buckle up Ladies and Gentlemen! There is a chance that you may recognize yourself in this book. That’s okay, I’m probably in here and i know that I’ve disappointed Mom on more than a few occasions. You will learn of the life experiences that shaped her worldview and fueled her drive for excellence. You will hear humorous tales of times that she has rubbed shoulders with luminaries. Her career trajectory is to be admired if not revered, and her love for Family and Community is unparalleled. But that’s just the unbiased opinion of her only child so, don’t mind me.

Kudos to you Mom! I love you and appreciate you!

A. Fleming

Introduction

When my grandmother Bertha passed away, I was devastated. I think I was around twenty-four years old. She was the glue that held the family together––my mother’s mother, a strong loving woman, the matriarch of our family. The Petersons, Grandma Bertha and Granddaddy Alvin, and all of the aunts, uncles, and cousins were the center of my universe.

Every summer, Daddy would pack the family in the car, and off to Coldwater, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee, we would go. Every summer, my mother and her thirteen brothers and sisters would show up with their families to visit my grandparents’ farm. Oh my goodness. Granddaddy Alvin would kill a hog and roast it on a spit. Grandma Bertha would make homemade ice cream, and the women would prepare all kinds of side dishes for a feast that was beyond belief.

We always stayed in Mississippi and Tennessee for at least two weeks because this was a time for visiting relatives and getting reacquainted. Since there were thirteen brothers and sisters, you can imagine how many children were running around that farm. Heck, Mother and Daddy had five children. We picked fresh peaches and pears off of the fruit trees in the yard and swam in the pond, which was directly down the hill from the farm house. We, children, would put on our swimming suits, run down that hill from the farm house, and dive into the water because you know in July and August it was really hot in Mississippi. Grandma Bertha and her brothers and sisters all lived near one another, just down the road, so there was no limit to visiting and listening to the great uncles sitting around and telling their tall tales, covering just about everything.

Whenever Granddaddy Alvin would go to town, he would pile a bunch of us kids in the back of his blue pickup truck, and off we would go. Now mind you this was during the time when Mississippi was still segregated. Granddaddy would always tell us to keep our mouths shut and only speak when we were spoken to. He also told us that we had to drink at the colored water fountain and to say yes and no ma’am or sir if answering a question asked by one of the White people in town. Granddaddy Alvin was a mason and very respected by both Blacks and Whites. This made things a little easier for us grandchildren because the store owners would offer us candy and ice cream just because we were his grandchildren. These were some of the happiest times of my life. My childhood did not totally prepare me for what was to come later in life; however, it gave me a road map of what a normal family and family life looked like.

During my childhood, we lived through the civil rights movement, 1954 through 1968, and the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963; of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968; and of Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968. We also lived through the Vietnam War, November 1955–April 1975, and passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. These are the things that shaped many of us as responsible adults and individuals who were determined to carve out our place in life. Our parents had the tough job of explaining all of these things that were happening and that would later go down in history to never be forgotten.

Chapter 1

The Early Years

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

––2 Corinthians 12:7–9

As a child growing up in a house with my mother, Brenda; father, Howard; one sister, Nedra; three brothers, Howard Jr., Claude, Lamar, and me Allison, I never really gave a great deal of thought to what the future would bring. We had