b'PROFILEJohnny WatsonWants Your VoteBy Johnny Watsonwatch online: bocnews.comA s a young man growing up in the south,myfamilystructurewas veryimportant.Thoughmymother and father raised my brother and I, my grandmother was the head of the household.Sheandmygrandfather livedtenminutesawaybutstillwe abidedbyherwishes.Thelevelof respect that my mother, father, broth-erandIhadforherisastounding.Johnny WatsonIn fact, as the mother of our family church she was well respected in the community as well. She instilled in usenlightenment.Todateitisstilla that we must always respect our par- source of enlightenment for me.ents and give the adults in the com- Mymomanddadoftenaskedmy munity the upmost respect as well.brother or I to say the blessing at the She was a praying grandmother whodinner table or they would listen to he taught us to always put God first. Sheand I pray at bedtime. That was our taught us to pray in the morning uponfamily ritual. We enjoyed doing so and wakingupandpraybeforegoingtowouldbeaskedtoprayatdifferent bed as well.I recall, seeing her biblefamily gathering.sitting open on a table beside her sofa,Iwasbaptizedbymygrandfather at all times. I often checked to see if itand his brother who both had a hand were on the same page when I visited,inbuildingthechurch.Theywere just to determine if she was readingDeacons but also carpenter to supple-the same scripture repeatedly. Surelymenttheirincomes.Youseeback enoughitwouldbeonadifferentthen the church was a major part of scripture.Thereweretimesthatmythe community, just as it should be grandmother would have me sit on thetoday. floor beside her, as she sat on the sofa reading the bible. I recall how much ISomewhere along the line we have loved having her read the scriptureslost the genuine respect that was so tome,tothepointthatIwouldgoingrainedinourcommunities.One homeandrecitesomeorthemtocould never be disrespectful to their myself, I even memorized some. As Iparents, pastors, neighbors, teachers grew older remembering how the bibleoranyotheradult.Thatwasjusta was a special book for reading in ourway of life and just how communities household, it became a source of won- raised their children and the church der for me and I studied it as if it werewas an integral part. a course for me, researching on someThe church was always the nucleus of the text of the scriptures, gainingofthecommunityandthevalues taughttherewerereiteratedbypar-entsandinstilledintheirchildren. Itmadeforunityinhowchildren interacted with one another and how One could never bethecommunityworkedtogetheras one.BecausethelawsofGodwere wellunderstood,childrenwerenot disrespectful to theironly being raised by their parents and accountable only to their parents but parents, pastors,also by neighbors and accountable to society as well. neighbors, teachersWe are in troubling times now and somewebelievethatthereisno or any other adult.wayoutofsituationsthattheyare troubledby.Thereisalwaysaway That was just a wayout when we seek god, when we let go and let god. As a nation we must real-of life and just howize that the church is our solace and prayer is the answer.communities raisedIamafirmbelieverthatPrayer works in any situation that we have their children andbeforeus.Thepeoplewhofollowed Jesus, his disciples, they ask, teach the church was anus how to pray that question should alwaysresonatewithusandbea integral part. reminder of the importance of prayer.Blessingstoyouandyourfamily! For more information visit my website: johnnyforaurora.comBODY OF CHRIST NEWS OCTOBER 2019 19'