If I could sum up my life in three words, they would be, "Thank You God."
My name is Jessica Token Clark and my father is John Clark. Ever since I was a child I have been in holy Ghost meetings and felt the spirit of God flow around me. What a wonderful thing!
I have never been in Christianity and had to deal with the baggage and burdens that it gives! My mind and heart has only been exposed to the truth. I don’t even know exactly when I received the holy Ghost. It seems as if I was just born with it. Through the years, growing up in God, I have seen so many wonderful things but I’d like to share a few things that happened to me.
When I was six or seven, I remember being so serious about very childish things, as most children are. But in one case, I just really, really couldn’t stop thinking about speaking in tongues. I understood that speaking in tongues was a special language to God but I always wondered what it was saying. Well, I had heard that it prayed for things that we humans didn’t even know we needed help on. But, I heard a lot of speaking in tongues going on and I didn’t really think that the people I knew needed that much help! Finally, I asked my mother and my father, at separate times, about speaking in tongues and both told me that sometimes we just praise God in tongues. My rational mind thought that was such a "waste" to praise God when speaking in tongues, because we can do that in English...still I considered it. Well, we went out to Kentucky and were having a big meeting at Brother Delbert’s, I think. I was watching two women in the Lord, Natalie and Angie, shouting and speaking in tongues. I began to notice that when Natalie spoke in tongues, Angie would praise God in English and vice versa...almost like they were translating for each other! I looked around to see if anyone else noticed this seeming miracle but I know that God did that just for me. I began to understand how wonderful and powerful God really is...there is no such thing as too much praise to God in the spirit!
I remember reading in Revelations about the beasts who just praise God around His throne all the time, every second of every day and night. I felt so special too that God would love me enough to teach me how right my parents were! When I was about 12 or so, I went through a little bit of a depression. I just wasn’t feeling satisfied with my life. One night we were meeting in the basement of Sister Debbie’s home and I went into the bathroom and prayed, "God you said you would make me happy. What is wrong? I’m living right and have been since I can remember! Why am I not happy?" Well, I walked out of the bathroom and sat down on the outside of a circle that was being formed. People were playing guitars and singing and then my dad stood up and said, "God gave me a message for somebody here. He asked this question to one of you, ‘Do you really think I can’t make you happy? Just wait, you will find out what happy is.’" I was so shocked...God had heard my prayer just minutes before and answered me! My heart swelled with joy and hope for my future with Him. Whenever I am feeling a little blue, I think about what God promised me. And I know that if I will serve Him then He will give me the desires of my heart.
My junior year in high school was hard for me because we just moved into a new house and I just started a new high school. My new high school, Williams, was very different from my old high school; it was in the city and I had always gone to county schools. The people were generally more wealthy and I had a hard time making friends. I remember two little things that God did for me during the first few months of that year that helped me so much. One day in my Pre-Calculus class we were going to have a test and our teacher told us to bring a pencil. I had forgotten my pencil and in English class the word went around that we had better bring pencils because he was failing anyone without a pencil. The teacher was very hard and I didn’t know anyone so I couldn’t ask to borrow a pencil. I was so nervous that I just prayed a little prayer and said, "God I need a pencil." Just a few minutes later, the janitor picks up something on the farside of the walkway and passes several students to come over to me. He asks me if I could use this pencil he just found! Again, I was touched and understood how God sees our every little need!
Another time I had really forgotten to do my homework. I was a very good student so I couldn’t believe that I had just simply forgotten about an English assignment. Especially since I loved English. Our teacher was pretty strict so I knew she wouldn’t let me turn it in late. I prayed silently to God to give me some kind of a chance to do my work. She always took up our assignments at the beginning of class. I sat in my seat in the front of the classroom and just waited for her to ask me. But then she did an unusual thing, she said that she decided to gather the homework tomorrow! I knew God had heard me and felt compassion for my teacher that God had used her for me! I am so blessed and I hope God will let me know and feel just how blessed I am every day. Very few people I know have grown up in the truth and stayed with it. I have made mistakes but the saints always helped me through them. I want to become an adult who can understand and help more of God’s people. Whatever happens in my life I have learned that by staying with God I will make the right choices and find the secret path to happiness.