...Being the Light Needed

By Karen Williams

God brought back to my memory scenes from my life of people depicting love, joy, and peace. People that showed me kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and goodness. People who demonstrated patience and self-control. These people were "lights" along my life's journey and they guided me into ...Being the Light Needed! 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Jul 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887388533

Karen Williams

Karen enjoyed a career as a corporate trainer for several "Best Place to Work" companies for nearly a decade. As a caregiver for her mom in 2011, she struggled to balance her work life and her caregiving responsibilities at home. Faced with mounting performance improvement actions at work, it became necessary that she choose between a career she loved and what she called "a priority of love" (the caregiving for her mom); she chose "a priority of love"! Following this life-changing decision, God began to reveal to her ...Being the Light Needed!

Book preview

Preface

Christians carry the light of Jesus within them. This book is my autobiography, sharing stories of just a few Christians whose light revealed the path to Jesus to me. The stories are told as scenes from my life and every scene depicts the light I needed to evolve into being the light needed for others! My prayer is that God receives the glory from this book.

To all who were the light I needed…thank you!

■ God ■ Jesus ■ The Holy Spirit ■ Leroy and Annie Lue Williams ■ Roy Jr ■ Wanda ■ Jeanette Little ■ Bossie Baker ■ Ivelean McKinney ■ Mother Annie Holmes and Bro. Albert Holmes ■ Susie P. Williams ■ Lula Mae Yancey ■ Mozelle Battle ■ Earnest Williams and Darlene Williams ■ Uncle Dave Williams ■ Naomi Sam ■ Sis. Annie Pearl Anderson ■ Gaynell Smith ■ Shirley Williams ■ Bro. and Sis. Campbell ■ Hazel Crawford ■ Edith Underwood ■ Margarita Cepeda ■ Pastor Evorn Burke and Sis. Debra Burke ■ Alease Green ■ Pastor Mikel Mims ■ Kathy Smith ■ Marcelle Herron ■ Ms. Webb ■ Dr. Gary McGaha ■ Pastor Dwayne Fudge and Sis. April Fudge ■ Pastor Lawson ■ Bishop Dale C. Bronner ■ Bishop Craig L. Oliver ■ Pastor Billy Baskins ■ Pastor EK Bailey ■ Pastor Mack King Carter ■ Pastor Smith ■ Warnell Samuel ■ Carmen Morris ■ Dr. Cheryl Holder ■ Lonnie Mincey Sr. ■ Tom Mincey ■ The two Rev. Williams (from Washington Park) ■ Patricia Pickney ■ Don Scott ■ Leslyn Thompson ■ Kevin and Yanyery Jennings ■ Kenneth and Zavier Jennings ■ Kevin Lawson ■ Wayne Stacey ■ Khalil Johnson ■ Aunt Minnie Lee and Uncle Johnny Paul Lewis ■ (continued on back page)

Contents

SECTION 1 | Leroy Williams

Leroy’s Dash in Between

Kindergarten

1980 Hatchback

End of Story

Family Resemblance

Where Would I Be

The Day Darkness Appeared

The Day Light Reappeared

His Hands

SECTION 2 | Annie Lue Williams

Towing My Mother’s Row

Mom’s Faith

Mom’s 81st Birthday

May My Life Please God

Enough Light for One Step at a Time

Smile… Laugh… It’s Good Like Medicine

God Doesn’t Leave You Exposed

See You Later, Alligator

The Way Home

SECTION 3 | Karen Marie Williams

Each One to Their Own Assignment

Fruit of the Spirit - Love

Joy

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Peace

Kindness

Goodness

Patience

Self-Control: Being the Light Needed!

SECTION 1

Leroy Williams

Leroy’s Dash in Between

(October 17, 1928—September 12, 2007)

I spoke of my dad at his funeral and shared this story:

When I moved to Atlanta, my dad drove the truck with all of my furniture in it and I followed behind him in my car. What should have been a nine or ten hour drive became a 13 to 14 hour trip. I hadn’t gotten enough sleep the night before the trip, so I kept signaling my dad that I had to stop because I was falling asleep at the wheel. Finally, my dad pulled into yet another rest stop area and he said to me, I can’t drive this truck and your car too! Go into the restroom, splash water on your face until you wake up, and when you get behind the wheel again, I need you to fix your eyes on the taillights of my truck. When I turn, you turn. When I stop, you stop. We are getting ready to take it on in."

What taking it on in means is that from this point where we currently are, there will be no more rest stops until we reach our final destination. I share this story with you because just a little before 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning, September 12, 2007, my dad took it on in to his final destination for the last time. I heard an Atlanta pastor by the name of Jasper Williams once say, I had no say so about the day my life began and the truth of the matter is, I will have no say so about the day my life will end, but the dash in between those two dates belongs completely to me.

My father taught me so much about being a light needed during his dash in between. Here are just a few of those lessons:

Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

John 11:9-10

Holy Bible, King James Version

Kindergarten

My mom was what was called back then a housewife or homemaker; today we call them stay at home moms. My brother was nine years older than me and my sister was six years older, so on school days, it would usually be just me and my mom at home. I loved being at home with her; she was patient, kind, and took time to listen to me. But the time came when I had to leave her and go to a place that was called kindergarten. It was so very different from home; there was a lady there who I was told was my teacher and she was nothing like my mom. I had to wait for her to call on me before I could speak, I needed her permission to use the restroom, and we had to take naps when she said to take them, not when we were tired. The other kids seemed happy there, but that was because they hadn’t spent any time with my mom; if they had, they would not have liked kindergarten either. Every day upon entering the classroom, I would cry to leave; my mom would do her best to console me, but the only thing that would make me stop would be her giving in and taking me back home with her. One evening, I overheard my mom and dad talking about me. My dad said to my mom, That girl has to go to school. My mom said to him, I know she does, Roy, but she doesn’t like it there.

The next day, my father was still home when my mom was dressing me for school and instead of my mom taking me to school, my dad took me. I loved riding in my dad’s pick-up truck; he would let me stand on the seat next to him as he drove and being up high in the truck made me feel like I could see everything. As we got to the school, he held my hand as we walked from the