Effie Caton

Thank God that He ever permitted one of these Apostolic Faith papers to come into our home. I look back upon the awful pit that God took me from; my heart fills with gratitude as I try to count my blessings. Mine was just a saloonkeeper’s home, just a hell on earth, when one of these Apostolic Faith papers came into our home.

Just as I was left with a father who spent most of his time in the saloon, I drifted out into the things of the world, and eventually married a man who soon became a saloonkeeper. We had two little boys, and he used to take those little boys and set them on the bar, give them intoxicating liquor, and then bring them home to me with their little breath smelling of liquor.

I thought, “How can I ever stand to see my little boys grow up to be drunkards?” I am so glad that God saw that little spark of honest love in my heart that wanted to bring my children up right. When I read that paper it touched my heart. I said, “O God, if You will just take me where I can live right, and where I can raise these little children right, I will serve You. I will give You the rest of my life.” It wasn’t anything to offer God, just a fragment that he picked up. I thank God that I am here in this wonderful place, and I want to give my life to Him as never before.

I was groping around our home on a milk diet, and hadn’t a ray of hope of ever being well and strong again. The doctors said I had cancer of the stomach. My mother died of that awful disease, and I knew I was soon going to leave my little children. Jesus put faith in my heart to trust Him, and I did trust Him. He healed my body of that awful cancer, and I have trusted him for many years for my healing and for the healing of my family. I have proved Him to be the great Physician.

I fell one day and hurt my back, and it seemed that it took every bit of strength out of my body. I prayed and called on God. I asked the people of God to pray for me and sent in requests for prayer. God showed me that I had to obey that Word—every jot and tittle. I said, “God, I will call the ministers to come to my home and have them pray for me.” They came and anointed me with oil and prayed for me, and the power of God touched me from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet.

I got up out of bed, and I said, “Give me that Word; I want to see what God wants me to do now.” He gave me that Scripture, “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). I know that is what God wants me to do. He lifted me out of the pit. I thank Him. I feel in my soul I want to be nothing. I want God to be all, that he might use me. I have had the privilege these last few days to go back up into Washington where we had that old saloon, and see the pit from which God took me. It makes me appreciate the Gospel.

I am the mother of seven children, and every one of them are in this Gospel this afternoon. God healed me of that cancer 45 years ago; I am 80 years old now. Oh, through these years of trusting Jesus and loving Him, I can say that He has blessed my soul! He has helped me to trust Him for healing; not once have I given one drop of medicine to one of my little children or turned to the arm of flesh. I thank Him for all He has done for me.