When I look back over the time that God has given me, I stand amazed at how gracious God is and how he blessed me. Since I started for the kingdom, since my life He controls, since I gave my heart to Jesus, the longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.
I joined the church when I was 12. When I was 14, I had a little talk with Jesus. It was after I had an experience at Ridgecrest Baptist Assembly, unsure what I had done, I promised Him that wherever He sent me, whatever He wanted me to do, I would do it. Wow! High School, college–Furman University. I still didn’t know what I wanted to do. Jesus had maintained silence on His end. So I chose Business Administration.
In the fall of my freshman year, as I was walking down the street, the Furman bus passed by headed to the women’s campus. I noticed the cutest little blonde; I had this feeling that this was the girl for me and sure enough after the next four years and one breakup; Joye and I were married one month after graduation.
The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows, the more that I love Him more love He bestows. Each day is like Heaven, my heart overflows. The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows.
Several years have now elapsed. My military commitment is over; I’m working in a bank trust department in Greenville, South Carolina. Joye is minister of music in our church, I am a deacon and our two children are now almost 5 and 2. I really haven’t heard from Jesus in quite a while and I become impatient and life was no longer exciting. I felt as if God could surely use me, maybe in the business end of a denominational job. I mentioned this to my pastor and through him I got a call from a gentleman at the Baptist Sunday School Board. About three weeks later, we were on our way to Nashville.
Every need He is supplying, plenteous grace He bestows. Every day my way gets brighter. The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows.
I found the Sunday School Board was exactly what I was looking for. I finally found peace with God, myself, and my family. When we left I had served in three departments and now a new phase in my life opened up—The Book Store Division. All of this taking us back to Greenville, SC for 2 ½ years. Then an opportunity to start a Baptist Book Store Mail Order Center in Greensboro came my way. Fifteen years later it was consolidated with another one in Nashville and I became the manager of the local store until retirement in 1992. Then I joined Jefferson-Pilot and again retired in 2000.
And I still wasn’t ready to retire permanently; I began working for the Baptist Student Union for the next five years.
I now look back and I think how God loves me a sinner, me the person who is so insecure, the person whose tongue trips over itself, the person who has difficulty with wise answers and solutions.
All this time I was active at church working with college students, Singles, and now the Happy Hearts.
The more that I love Him more love He bestows. Each is like Heaven, my heart overflows. The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows.
Ken Brannon and Joye have been members of First Baptist Church for 40 years. Ken has served as a Deacon and on numerous committees as a lay leader during those years.