Freda Crawford

I praise God for this wonderful Gospel, and that I ever found it real in my life. I didn’t always have God in my soul, but I praise Him that He was faithful to me when I was out in the world seeking what it had to offer. My heart was so weary and so full of darkness and remorse; I longed for peace and happiness.

My mother and father died when I was just a little child, and that brought such sorrow into my life! I had three sisters, and we all had to go into different homes. I was just three-and-a-half years old. I used to think if my mother had lived I would have been better off. I would have had more peace and joy, and I would have enjoyed the things other people enjoyed.

My new family was a so-called Christian family. I heard religion on every hand, but there was strife, contempt, envy, and hatred there. I used to say, “If that’s what you call religion, I don’t want it.”

I was proud and haughty, though there was sorrow in my heart. And I had a hunger in my heart for something, but I didn’t know what. My friends used to say, “You are all right; you don’t need anything else. All you need to do is to go to church!” I loved the world with all my heart, and I tried to find something in it that would satisfy, but oh, my heart was yearning for something I couldn’t find in the things of the world. There was a place in my heart that was never satisfied until I heard the Gospel.

God was faithful to my young heart, and the first time I ever heard the Gospel was at a camp meeting on Mount Tabor in 1908. That was my first visit to Portland, Oregon. I came for one purpose, and that purpose was to attend the camp meeting. The campers were experiencing persecution then. People were cutting the ropes of the large tent and throwing stones and rocks onto the tent. Still, the power of God would settle down in their meetings and the saints would pray through to sanctification and the baptism, and the sinners would pray through to salvation. I will never forget it! It was holy ground to me.

I heard them singing a beautiful song, “We have heard the joyful sound, Jesus saves! Jesus saves!” Oh, such conviction settled down in my heart! I thought, “There must be something in religion, after all.” I had found a people who really lived what they professed. Such joy and hunger came into my soul! I had the privilege of hearing the wonderful story that Jesus could save from all sin. The story appealed to me. I didn’t turn it aside and say there was nothing to it, but I gave God a chance at my life. I needed God more than anything in this entire world. I didn’t tell God how good I was, or how many good things I had done. Instead, I came to Him with all my heart. I didn’t have one thing to merit this wonderful salvation, but the Word of God said, “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” That included me.

I prayed a prayer that reached Heaven. I said, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” He saved my soul; victory came into my heart, and joy and peace from another world flooded my soul. The Gospel satisfies morning, noon, and night. This is not a religious profession that we lay off during the week and put on each Sunday morning. It is a joyful salvation that brings joy every hour of the day, even through the difficult times.

I had the privilege of going back into that little home, where I was raised, and living a Christian life before my family. Oh, such a wonderful change! They knew that something had happened in my life and later on they, too, came into this mighty Gospel and were saved.

I praise God for the old-time salvation. It satisfies the young as well as the old. God has healed me so many times. Just a few years ago I was at the point of death, but these people prayed the prayer of faith for me, and God raised me up. I praise God I ever learned to trust Him. I love Jesus with all my soul.

Freda was married to Rev. Raymond Crawford from 1920 until her death in 1941.