Veterans Day is Tuesday (Nov. 11).
There was a time when Steven Blanton said, “If I died in Vietnam, I know I would go straight to hell.”
However, all that changed after the birth of Steven and Gerann Blanton’s first child. The Blantons wanted their son to be dedicated to the Lord, and pastor Bill Alexander came to their home to talk about planning for their son Chris’s dedication.
Alexander asked, “Steve, how can you dedicate your newborn son to the Lord when you are not dedicated to the Lord?”
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Blanton recalled, “That is all it took. I knelt with brother Bill at the foot of my bed and asked Jesus to come into my heart and save me. I‘ve never looked back, and that was truly the most important event in my life. I know Gerann uttered many prayers on my behalf before that glorious evening.”
Blanton now testifies, “The fact that Jesus laid down on the cross to provide a way of salvation for me absolutely overwhelms me.”
Blanton has been a faithful member of Rutledge Baptist Church in Georgia, where he has served as Sunday School director and teacher, treasurer and trustee. He has also been a part of the Gideon Ministry for the past 40 years.
“After my love for Christ,” declared Blanton, “my family is my greatest blessing, beginning with Gerann, and our four grown children.” The Blantons’ children and their spouses have given them 13 grandchildren.
Blanton not only loves the Lord and his family, but he loves his country and served for 31 years in the United States Army, achieving the rank of Brigadier General.
On Nov. 11, Veterans Day, Americans will acknowledge the brave men and women who have served our country in the military. Abraham Lincoln said, “Any nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by J. Gerald Harris and originally published by the Christian Index.
