Born to Preach

I believe that in each of us, from an early age, there is something we want to do with our lives and something we truly believe in. Most of the time these dreams change for various reasons. From the time I was very young I wanted to be a Police Officer and wouldn't even play cops and robbers as a child unless I could be the cop. I was scared that one day the police would find out I was a robber and I couldn't be a real officer. I was one of the lucky ones able to follow through on that passion and live it. My Grandfather had wanted me to follow him and preach. I knew this wasn't what I was called to do and a few years before he passed away I was finally able to tell him this. He only told me to, "Go where the Lord leads you."

I believe, and he knew, that he was born to preach and would not let anything stand in the way. His stories told of this passion and knowing what he was called to do from as early as he could remember. The following couple of stories are from his early memories.

Each story is as told by Happy Tom Brooks in his own words.

I Cried All Day

In the year 1904, I was four years old and I was crying. My oldest brother told me if I would go all day without crying, he would give me a half a days work, that's what he made in a half a day. I didn't get the money because I had rather have a congregation to preach to than to have the offering. I was crying for my brothers and sisters to sit down and listen to me preach.

My First Revival-I Got Saved

My Mother and Mag was off washing. They washed clothes for a living. I was eleven years old and I was setting down on the chopping block at the wood pile. I was thinking if there was anything I could do about getting a job to help Mother to feed and clothe us kids. I couldn't think of anything I could do to make any money to help and I began to cry. Then I cried and said, "Lord is there any good thing I can do?" and something told me to go down behind the fodder stack and preach. I got down behind the fodder stack and went to preaching and I got saved. I went back to the house and told Nannie and the other children there at the house that I was going to have church down behind the fodder stack. They said, "Who is going to preach?" I said, "I am." They began to get ready and I went down and fixed some seats and a altar. My subject was, "If you want to see your good old mother in heaven, you've got to get right with God." Nannie got to crying so loud I couldn't preach for her. I said, "Come on to the alter and pray." Nannie came on and knelt down at the altar and we began to pray. Nannie lifted her little bony hands and said, "I love everybody." Nannie said, "This is too good to keep a secret, let's tell Mother and Mag about it." That evening we done up all the night work. When Mother and Mag come in from washing they set down and rested. Mother said, "Nannie, have you got supper ready?" Nannie said, "Yes." "Have you fed the hogs? Have you got in the fire wood and the kindling?" We said, "Yes, all the night work is done." Then I said, "Mother, let's pray." We all knelt down on our knees to pray. While we were praying Mother got saved. While we were praying she got to shouting and running over the chairs in the house. That was my first successful revival.