In 1920, a young woman was at a crossroad in her life. She needed to make a decision, a decision that would determine the course of her life.

One evening she had been invited to a friend’s house for dinner. While sitting in the living room, she noticed a book on the end table. Because she had a passion for reading, her curiosity was piqued. She picked up the book and randomly opened it. As she started to read what was on the page, her heart leapt within her. There on the page of this book she had never read before was the answer to her dilemma.

The woman was Myrtle Dorthea Beall. The book she had opened was the Bible. That verse of scripture gave her the wisdom she needed, and that night she made her decision. And, it was that decision which led her to a journey of faith where she wholehearted embraced the Call to be a devoted follower of Jesus. But what is truly amazing about her choice to embrace His Call is that it inspired countless others to do the same.

In 1934 she would open a Sunday school for children that led to founding a mega church called Bethesda Missionary Temple. But what was remarkable at the time wasn’t just that thousands of people attended a church pastored by a woman, what was truly remarkable, what is noteworthy, was the reason the people came. In the late 1940’s, Bethesda became the epicenter for what would be called a “Latter Rain Revival.” People came to hear a powerful, inspired “word” that transformed their lives. People were healed, delivered from addictions, and discovered the will of God for their lives.

In the 1950’s, with the guidance of Jo Burbank, Myrtle’s memoir was printed as a series of articles for a monthly church publication. However, these articles had never been edited and published as a complete work. For several years her daughter, Patricia Beall Gruits, had encouraged me to take on this project. And so, this past fall I set aside time to edit the articles and knit them together as a complete story.

My initial motivation for working on this project was to provide Mytle Beall’s great- grandchildren, my daughters and nephews, an account of her great legacy of faith so it would not be forgotten and that it would strengthen their faith. But I soon came to realize that her legacy didn’t just belong to her natural descendants, but it belonged to all believers.

So along with my bi-monthly blogposts, (the first and third Mondays of the month) I will be posting chapters of her memoir, “A Hand On My Shoulder.” You can access these chapters by clicking on the link found on the sidebar (under “Subscribe”). To begin, I have posted the Introduction and Chapters 1-3.  May her story encourage and strengthen your faith.