The Journey to Salvation
Real people sharing the stories of their journey to salvation in Jesus.
The Journey to Salvation
Episode 30 - Bobby Reed
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Listen as Bobby shares his story. He has walked with the Lord for many years... some more closely than others. It's a blessing to know him.
Hello, I'm Becky Dowd, and this is The Journey to Salvation. Join me as we walk alongside real people and hear the unique journeys that led them to faith in Jesus. Today my guest is Bobby Reed. Hello, Bobby.
SPEAKER_01Hello.
SPEAKER_00How are you doing today?
SPEAKER_01Just fine, and you?
SPEAKER_00Good. Thank you for coming in today. Thank you for having me. So people might in just a few minutes I might recognize your voice from episode 15, The Story of Jesus. You read that script for me. We did that right before Christmas of 2025. And so you might, your voice might be recognized from that episode. So if you hadn't heard that episode, go back and listen to episode 15 as Bobby reads that story. So Bobby, I guess you just told me that you've only been here about four years, and I guess I probably have known you since you moved to Wynn then, because you started coming to the bridge about that time. Yes. Okay. So before we get into that part of the story, just uh give me a little bit of background information about you, where you grew up and kind of how your life was growing up.
SPEAKER_01Um I grew up in Missouri, a small town called Malden. Um in and out of church, even as a kid. We had the uh neighborhood churches, one is the Church of the Nazarene, and then the joy was that would come to the hood to pick kids up that wanted to go to church. Even though, you know, I went to my um I'll say mother church, the church that my mom went to at certain times. So I've been in and out of church all my life. Uh I felt the calling at 16, which like I said, I've been out in and out of church all my life, but at 16 I felt the calling. And I remember we was going through revival. We had what they called the morning bench. The morning what? The morning bench. Morning, you know, um those who mourn, okay. Yeah. I felt the calling, and you you'd go to the morning bench during revival, and then after that baptism.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_01So and I remember after my baptism, after coming to Christ, I was I was on fire. I had I had a dread of doing anything that Jesus was against, um, anything that the Bible didn't teach, because I grew up going to vacation Bible school, so and Sunday school, so that taught us a lot. So I somewhat had a knowledge. But then it didn't it didn't um come until, like I said, the year that I was 16, going to the morning bench and that, and I went ahead and got saved.
SPEAKER_00And that's a morning bench. Okay. Is that actually a bench?
SPEAKER_01Yes. Um, candidates for baptism or candidates for coming to Christ or rededicating their lives would come forward. It's like making that statement that I want to get in line or get back in line, and then after that, like I said, baptism. Um, I was on fire for Jesus. I mean, at 16 and then 17, and from that experiencing the world and um friends that I I come to know, to know and um hanging with, I mean, led me into this and led me into that. So it was after I was saved that I just got out there and started experiencing the world. So, like most, um, from there, um drugs and uh different relationships, uh dropping out of high school, going to job court. I went to job court to start a training and graduated. I mean, just all through this I felt different. I've always thought of myself as being, you know, different from other kids or other people, and I felt in a spiritual way? Yes. Okay, and I didn't get it, it wasn't until after the second stint in job corps and mine growing up and having kids that I realized now to go back a little bit, there was a time at like six between 16 and 18, I felt just drawn to the Bible. I couldn't put it down. So I got to read and start from the from the beginning, going through. And my mother and her friends would be would be having Bible study. Not understanding it then, the Lord was giving me stuff, and I would share with them because I was always one for hanging around elders, older people. I would come in on what they were studying, and I would give them what the what the Holy Spirit was giving me then, and they would just be amazed, where did he get that? And even then, the Holy Spirit was teaching me. So I grew up in a walk that was in and out. There were some dark times. I mean, I ended up in some places um from teenhood up until I say um mid-30s, just where I was in and out, just with uh different people that I grew up with that were um from teen from uh peer pressure. Socializing, I tried a little of this and I did a little of that, and but the Lord was always there, and he was always pulling at me, he was always teaching me. And there were times, I mean, like during the time in Job Corps, people asked me, You ever thought about being a counselor or um seminary school or and I brushed it off. That's not me. Uh I can't see myself going that way. There's been a lot of times that I ended up in dark places like um drug houses where everything there is dark. But even then the Lord was using me, people would come to me and they would tell me their problems, or they would give a testimony of what they was going through, and I saw it then as the enemy using these things to destroy them. And the Lord spoke to me then and gave them something where they um broke out in tears of joy or freedom. This even more look made me think of myself odd or strange. Growing up, I thought it was all about the music because I grew up singing. That's one thing that I loved all my life. And at a younger age, I taught myself to, well, I started teaching myself to play piano, playing by ear and guitar, but it got to the point to where I wasn't driven enough. I couldn't play and sing at the same time, so I let the instruments go. So the singing could never, uh it could, it it just wouldn't leave. That was a part of me. All my life I've sang, and I thought that it was about the music because I've sang in a lot of different churches, or just about every church that I've gone to come to me being in the choir or a soloist or just whatever, just in and out. And I never thought much about the word, but then I noticed that there have been times the Lord gave a message or gave a word to me that I didn't even understand. And I mean, some of them made hair raise up on you on the back of your neck, like where is this coming from? So all my life in and out, the Lord has expressed his calling on my life, and that's why I speak the word like I do. I have seen his word, I've lived the word. I I notice it where he says, The work that has begun in you, I will see it through to the day of Christ, and I have lived it. I've seen that over and over again. I um come to when September 22nd of 2022. I had got to a real dark place to where I was tired, even then going in and out of the drug scene and just trying to pull away from it. And it seemed like those were the people that were drawn to me, and it seemed like that was always where I ended up. Now, even in some of those times, the Lord spoke some real, I mean, defining messages, and some of these people later come back and tell me that something that I said or my talking to them saved their lives. I don't take no I don't take no credit for that. I know it's all by his grace and for his glory. And I was glad to be used. I've been in and out of the word and I've read it over and over and over again. And it's like I know it to be like watching a movie. Every time you go to, you'll get something different. He will show you a different angle, he will speak to you in different ways. And I've noticed that even as I got to be a parent, and I mean just in a family, I would still be straight. I mean, the world is not going to let go, the enemy is not going to let you go that easy. And I know for a fact that we talk about spiritual battle and that, and I know that the enemy is always around watching, but he's not as powerful as the creator. Now, talking about the word, I take a real um interest and um fascination with Job. How the angels of the sons of God presented themselves, and the angel and the and the and the enemy came too. So he's listening to everything, he knows some of what God lets him know, and who's calling, who's calling, who's calling, and the kind of calls that they have on their lives. And I knew it to be that he was bragging on Job. Have you tried my servant? But then even with that, he was not able to touch Job until he was given permission. So now I've used this in a lot of the messages and advice advice that I've given to people that have come to me with sad stories, or for instance, there have been a lot of women that have come to me with stories about of how they were abused or molested and by family members. And I always thought it strange how people would feel just so comfortable bringing their baggage or talking to me about things that they went through, and some didn't know me from Adam. The same thing with babies. I mean, there are I've been around kids that were, and people ask me, What did you do to my kid? They don't go to nobody, but babies take a fascination with me. So I see that as and feel that that is the glory of God because kids are still innocent and they see spirits and they see innocence. They're not tainted by the world yet. Am I getting off base? Mm-mm.
SPEAKER_00We're doing good.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Um I prayed over this thing and I asked God to give me something that was useful and not to be not to let it be about me. Coming here, I mean, before I came here, like I said, I got to a dark place to where I ended up homeless.
SPEAKER_00And my Can I ask you something?
SPEAKER_01Sure.
SPEAKER_00So were you at that time before you came here, were you still involved in uh a culture of drug use and that sort of thing?
SPEAKER_01I was around at Becky. It had got to the point to where I was tired. And one of those places where it was so heavily was at one of my sisters' houses. She's she's the one that's passed, now she's gone, and it finally took her out. But I got to the point to where I didn't want that no more. I was tired. And because before that I was staying with my brother, and he had ended up having an episode, he was a trucker. He ended up having an episode to where um he couldn't drive anymore. So the house that we had, the landlord wouldn't let us keep it just on my income. I was drawing my SSI disability then. So and I ended up putting my stuff in storage. And like I said, I was couch surfing from family member to family member. And me and this sister was particularly close all of our lives. We were like two years and a week apart. We were inseparable growing up. I saw how bad it got, so I wouldn't go. I would go to my storage unit and change my clothes or get clothes and go to her house and take a shower. I would ride around or just hang out wherever I could during the night. I slept on park benches just to get away from it, just pulling out of it as much as I could.
SPEAKER_00And this is right before you moved to win. Okay.
SPEAKER_01Now my daughter ended up coming to Cape Girardo to visit. And she said, Dad, you're not looking good. I don't like this. I'm coming to get you. And at that time, I was ready to go. It was behind one of those nights that I slept in the park and I cried out, Lord, hear my cry. I'm tired. This is emotional. And I see that as his answer, because a few days after that, she had her husband coming to get me. I stayed with her a month and a week after coming to Wynn and after going to places filling out paperwork and everything. And just like that, just like think, just like clockwork, within that month and a week's time, I had my HUD, I had my apartment. Kirk took me in Dustin's truck to Cape Girardo to empty my storage. Right behind that, I'm in, I'm in a I'm in a an apartment. But I had um during the time that I was staying with my daughter, I come to the bridge with her. She was coming to get some bedding, and it was during the time that you do costume giveaways.
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah. Let me let me back up. How did you how did you come in contact with Kirk?
SPEAKER_01That was it. Coming to the church with her to get bedding and this and that and that. And then you you know Kirk. He's the ultimate evangelist. I love him to death. And he got to talking to me, um, talking about Jesus. I let him know I know who God is, and I know that he's real. I know that he has a calling on my life. And Kirk used his mind. We have a spot for you. I started coming behind that, and I've been here since. I went to one other church since I've been here in Wynne. But uh that was just visiting. With uh I went with one one Sunday with Ms. Duncan to their church, but I see it fascinating, but I have learned from my walk that the Lord will do his will. It says that I shall work and who shall let it. Isaiah's my favorite book, and I I quote that often. From the things that I've seen him do in my life and around me, that what he wants to do, he's going to do. And it don't pay to fight because you can't win. You can't win. I'm hoping that some of this or something about this will help somebody because I know from my walk the Lord is real, almighty, and He only wants our best.
SPEAKER_00So over the last few years you've suffered some loss in your family. I mean, it seems like there's been three or four um incidences where you've lost a family member in the last few years.
SPEAKER_01From the time that I come to Wynn and come to the bridge, death has hammered my family. I've lost a daughter, I lost a sister, um, a cousin, a nephew, um, a few family members of other um family members, all family members like my um nieces, other side, um, sister, I mean nieces, I'm uncles and aunts, and we were all close because Malden is a small town. Population, it it started off eight something, population three thousand and something. So most people know somebody in somebody's family there. So it's it's it's pretty close.
SPEAKER_00In light of all that, how did you deal with all those losses? Because those are that's a lot of loss within just a short period of time.
SPEAKER_01From the time, Becky, that I've especially after him hearing my cry and bringing me here, and I feel like he planted me, brought an even more closeness. Now, I already knew that he was real and that he was working, that he had a calling, but it it it drawed me closer. It gave me a more profound understanding of he's going to work and that everything is in his hand. So from the peace that I grew to know, to know from him, bringing me here and planting me and just setting me and then putting me around, the family of the bridge has put me at such a piece to where I know that he knows what he's doing. So it hurts, but I'm not shaking.
SPEAKER_00And that's what I've seen in you when when uh something has happened to a family member, you've had that strong faith in the Lord that you know he does everything for a purpose, and it's all about him. Yes, you know. Because we could we could be we're gonna be sad when our family member passes away, but we have to put all that in perspective of who God is.
SPEAKER_01I have learned to look at everything that I have experienced or dealt with in terms of scripture. So therefore, anything that happens, I can find a scripture that explains it or gives me a peace with it. In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good courage. I have overcome the world. In other words, you're going to have trouble in this worldly system, but if you keep your eyes on me, I'll lead you through it. And that right there gives me peace. Just knowing the word, not to say that I know it all, but I've been in and out of it to where I know a lot of it, I understand a lot of it, and I'm still growing, even at 62, I'm still growing. I have the knowledge that none of us will know it all. But we'll know more when we get there. And there's only so much that we're supposed to know and understand why we're here. But to lean on and to be settled and ground in what I do know helps me be, helps me be at peace.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I've noticed just being around you and and Even at some of the meetings that we go to together. You always have an answer with God's word. And that's where all of our answers need to come from. And I I love that about you because we can be discussing something and discussing it on the terms of the world, but then you might bring in God's word that totally uh speaks into whatever we're speaking about.
SPEAKER_01Well, now like I said, I have learned to walk. It's walking in the word, and that's where we find our peace. That's where our strength in is, because everything is about him, and he gives us the word to help us in this life. So if we would look at and always remember, and he said, during that time, the word you will know what to say, but it is not you that speaketh, but the Holy Spirit. So there is always a scripture in the book that helps with every facet of life. Every I've seen this.
SPEAKER_00That's true. And I think sometimes that's the last place we go to look for those answers when that should be the first place we go to.
SPEAKER_01Well, now I've gotten used to standing in that and lean and relying on that. I told Kurt them the first good conversation that we had, that my favorite story in the Bible was Numbers 22, where he makes the donkey talk. And I use that, I use that analogy of if he can make a donkey talk, he don't need me because he made billions like us, but I'm so thankful that he counts me worthy to use. He'll use me if I show up. So I try to always be available. I try to always put myself in that place of humility and openness to where he can say what he wants to through me.
SPEAKER_00Right. You know, last night we had a meeting here at the church called the altar, and uh someone was sharing something uh that had been an addiction, and and she was talking about, you know, just you just need to walk with the Lord. And I and I sort of made the point that, you know, we need to walk with others that are walking with the Lord too, because in that we're encouraged uh to follow Him closely and to be accountable to each other through that. And it sounds like that might have been something that might have been missing in your life growing up, which is having people to walk alongside. Is that accurate?
SPEAKER_01Um, yes. Well, now let us go back a little bit. Now, like I said, there were some dark times in my growing up, and I talked about the enemy using situations that you go through to destroy you or to detour you. And one of the things that I had a real problem with, Becky, is my father not being present. I had times to where I would sit and think or I would hide and cry wondering what I did or why my father wasn't there. I would look at the things that my uncles did with their kids, and we're a big family. My grandmother had nine kids, and man, there are, there's a lot of us. But they taught them to hunt and to, you know, work on cars, this and that, and that, and this. And I let that make me real angry and even violent at times. That was a real dark time to me. So um it almost destroyed me. I let that, I let that cause me to get into trouble and to go to the drugs and in and out of prison and just letting the enemy have his way with me because of that. And it was one of those times that I was going through a rehab in prison that I got a hold to this book, and I noticed that the Lord will put exactly what you need in your path when you need it. It was called Purple Houses of Healing. It taught me that I can go back and heal my past by looking at where I am and saying, today it's okay. Maybe he didn't know how to or didn't know what to, but today it's okay. That helped me heal my past and to come forward and do a whole lot of forgiving, which is something that is spoken of highly in the Bible. If you don't forgive, you can't be forgiven. But then I at the same time I learned that, excuse me, I learned at the same time that holding on to that unforgiveness is like taking poison. It hurts you.
SPEAKER_00Well, because you can't ever go back in time and your dad be that father that you wanted him to be. I mean, that's already behind us, right? Yes. So it's not doing you any good thinking about what could have been, what should have been, what you wanted back then. Uh you can't go back and redo all that.
SPEAKER_01That's right, that's right. And I'm thankful to have had a spiritual and understanding mother. And she was always telling me that's the only father that you're gonna have, or that's the only dad that you're gonna have, because God is our father. You need to make your peace. Make your peace. You cannot control, and I I can't explain why, or there was a lot of things that happened, but it didn't have anything to do with you. Make your peace, and I was finally able to.
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_01So I did my forgiving in that before he passed, which helped me to get over that.
SPEAKER_00Right. Because you could still be hanging on to all that now.
SPEAKER_01And that's a darkness. I mean, like I said, the enemy will use whatsoever that he will see. And that's a thing that it trips me out, how a lot of people don't believe that there are spirits around us and the spiritual warfare is going on, but I know that he will use things like that, like um some of the people that I talked to, some of the women that I talked to that have been molested or whatever, how the enemy will use that to keep you from healing and having whole relationships. But Jesus longs to heal us as he did with me. So that helped me come forward and establish the peace that he so longs to give us.
SPEAKER_00Right. So, Bobby, tell me what your favorite Bible verse is. I know that you know you can quote so many of them, but what really stands out to you in God's word?
SPEAKER_01Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundant above all that you can imagine or ask, and he can do it.
SPEAKER_00Thank you for joining us today. New episodes release every Wednesday, so be sure to subscribe and get notified when a new episode is available. You can listen on the Journey to Salvation website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. So, where are you on your journey to salvation?
