Episode Twenty-One: The Byte - Pastor Debria Upton

Episode 21: In this byte-sized episode, we hear how at camp in her teens, Debbie was part of a larger group who got lost in the woods. Listen in on how she found the way, not only for herself but her friends as well.

Transcript

So we came back to another stopping point,

And it was not pitch black,

But it was really getting dark in the woods.

You know,

I said,

Lord,

I've been asking for help.

And I said,

I've been asking you to help me.

And I said,

I'm going to ask you to help us because obviously we may be here all night just as clear as day.

And I knew it was Jesus when he appeared and spoke to me.

And he said,

Feed my sheep and come this way.

And it was to the right.

So we got through and it was really funny because there was like total silence.

And I'm going,

Did anybody else hear or see this?

I grew up in a religious household.

My father was a deacon at the Southern Baptist Church that we attended.

My mother sang in the choir and did all those wonderful things,

Helping out in Bible school,

Sunday school,

You name it.

I was in what was called girls' auxiliary.

It was for girls that studied the Bible and were to develop into the Proverbs woman.

And so I actually accepted the Lord at a very,

Very young age to the point where my grandfather had been ill.

And that was a time when they didn't allow children to come see people in the hospital.

And so he passed away.

I guess maybe a couple of years,

Two or three years later,

My mother had to go into the hospital and my child like mine basically perceived that mother was going into the hospital and probably could die.

And I very nonchalantly asked my father in church,

If mom died,

Where would she go?

And he told me heaven.

And I said,

Well,

Then I want to go there too.

Ridgecrest is in North Carolina.

At the time we went,

It was a senior high youth retreat type of,

Was centered more on music,

Hymns,

Scripture,

That kind of thing.

And prior to that time,

I was not really allowed to go off to places.

And I don't know how it happened,

But my mother ended up being talked into being the nurse for the trip.

I mean,

When you talk about the mountains of North Carolina,

It's similar to here in Colorado.

I mean,

You're on this bus and you go winding around the top of the mountain and you look over and there's nothing there.

It's that kind of thing.

And she liked that particular area too.

So we'd gotten up there and the kids had said that they were going to go on a hike and that they were going to use the guides,

The counselors from Ridgecrest,

They were going to lead them,

You know,

Cause there's,

There were all kinds of trails.

And I did like to do hiking.

I did that with my aunt up in Illinois every time we came for the summer.

So I liked hiking.

And so they convinced my mother to let me go.

We proceeded to go and have a lot of fun,

But I kept noticing that we were going off trail,

On trail,

Off trail,

On trail.

And it appeared to me that we were repeating the same area.

I was not a boy scout or a girl scout or anything like that.

So what was supposed to have gotten us back by four o'clock or whatever for dinner to be cleaned up and all for dinner ended up being very late until when the sun was going down,

We were still in the woods and it was dark.

It was getting dark.

And every time we stopped,

Well,

Let's go this way,

Just go this way.

And so the guys that were leading kept saying,

Okay,

Let's stop and have prayer.

And so we'd stop and we'd have prayer and it just felt like it was hollow.

It was just like,

Well,

That's what we should do,

Right?

Cause we're,

We don't want to say we're lost,

But we're lost,

You know?

So anyway we came back to,

To another stopping point and it was not pitch black,

But it was really getting dark in the woods.

And you know,

I said,

Lord,

I've been asking for,

For help.

And I said,

I've been asking you to help me.

And I said,

I'm going to ask you to help us because obviously we may be here all night and my mother's probably having a cow right now.

And so just as clear as day.

And it's the picture that the Russian girl drew is who I saw was not the blue eyed blonde haired Jesus that I grew up with.

It was a totally different person.

And I knew it was Jesus when he,

He appeared and spoke to me and he said,

Feed my sheep and come this way.

And it was to the right.

And so we got through and it was really funny because there was like total silence and I'm going,

Did anybody else hear or see this?

And it was like,

No,

They didn't.

And I'm,

So I just said,

Let's go to the right.

Oh,

Well,

We've already done that.

I said,

Well,

Would it hurt us to do that again?

And so we went to the right and about a half a mile.

I was close enough that as we started walking,

You could begin to hear road noise.

And so we went about half a mile and there was a highway.

And as soon as we stepped out on the highway is this big old gaggle of 12 teenagers,

12,

You got that right?

There a white pickup truck pulled up.

Now my mother had told me,

You don't,

You know,

Don't talk to strangers or any of this,

Whatever.

He rolled his window down and he spoke directly to me.

He didn't speak to anybody else.

And he says,

Looks like you guys could need,

Need a lift.

Would you like a lift?

And I said,

Sure.

And I got into this cab and a friend got in the cab with me and then the rest of them piled in the back.

And so as we're going,

He goes,

Well,

Where are you guys going?

And I said,

We're at a retreat up at Ridgecrest.

And he kind of chuckled and said,

Well,

You know,

I'm coming home from work.

He said,

I don't always go this way.

It's kind of the long way to go,

But it's so pretty up here.

And he said,

Something just told me to come this way.

And so as we're driving,

We pass a state line and I'm like,

Where are we?

He says,

Looks like you wandered in the woods until you just crossed the state line.

So we get back to Ridgecrest and it's already like seven o'clock,

It's chapel time.

There are,

Our leaders are just kind of panicking,

Pacing back and forth.

And so are the counselors who were supposed to be taking care of us from the Ridgecrest area.

And so we pull up and forget about dinner.

Do you know,

Go straight into the chapel and see all of us hadn't said during this time that if God would get us out of there,

We would give our life,

We just turn our whole life over to him.

He could do,

We could,

We do whatever he wanted us to,

You know?

So we all went forward and of course,

Made the speaker just,

He was elated and all.

I think I was the only one that really seriously had that encounter and,

And really meant it.

I love that they're like,

We're not going to say we're lost,

But let's pray.

Yeah.

Like if we avoid using the word lost,

We're not lost.

Yes.

I don't think that story is crazy at all because you know,

I think you were praying with your heart and I think it's really interesting that it was when you said,

Will you save us?

That that figure appeared.

You know,

I think you had a really profound sense of God from a very early age and this experience at that retreat just cemented it for you.

I also think from a very early age,

You felt called.

Yeah.

And so that kind of call is so intoxicating because you kind of know where it's going to lead.

But I also have heard that it's,

You know,

Some people dread it because it's going to involve a lot of work.

So it's like,

Ah,

You know,

What does it mean really to be a true servant?

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's right,

Folks.

We've officially reached season three of bite sized blessings.

That's episode 21.

If you're keeping count,

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey.

It's been a true privilege hearing the stories from people,

Stories that have changed their lives that have affected them and that have reminded them that the universe always has their back.

I'd like to thank Debbie Upton for sharing her story today,

As well as the creators of the music used.

Agnese Valnaggia,

Luis Mayorga,

Frank Schroeder,

Rafael Crux and Alexander Nakarada.

For complete attribution,

Please see the bite sized blessings website at bite sized blessings.

Com.

On the website,

You'll find links to songs,

Books and change makers I think will inspire you and lift your day.

Thank you for listening and here's my one request.

Be like Debbie and be open to the miracles that will show you your true path.

See you.

You you