Hi, this is Erin Michele, and welcome to steps to trusting. Steps to trusting is a place where we explore how to take active steps in our faith and trusting God more fully. I hope that you’ll join us as we continue to explore how to take these active steps to trusting.

[00:00:18] I’m so glad that you guys are here with me today. Today’s conversation is a really special one because it’s with a really special lady. Her name is Darragh Davis. Darragh is a woman of God.  Darragh and I were in a Bible study for several years.  Watching her Christian faith and watching how she knew her Bible encouraged me to study God’s word in a different way.   She encouraged my faith and my walk with the Lord. I hope that you will enjoy this conversation and challenges from Dara Davis.

[00:00:51] Darragh: Hello?

[00:00:51] Erin: Hi, Darragh.

[00:00:52] Darragh: Hi Erin.

[00:00:53] Erin: Darragh, I was wondering as we were getting started, if you would tell us a little bit about your background and your testimony.

[00:01:00] Darragh: Well, yes, I married in 1962 and I married, mine was very unusual marriage. It was a very devout Christian man who was much older than I am, as I’ve said often.

[00:01:13] I don’t tell people how much, unless I know them well- especially in this day and age or they’d be shocked. But he was definitely the right one to marry. Well, because he was so much older, we called in three different pastors and asked whether I wanted to get their opinion. And bottom line was absolutely you should marry.

[00:01:33]   I was in nursing for one year at age 17. I graduated from high school, got this scholarship for nursing that I had not even applied for. That is another story. God has just had his hand on me and been so gracious to me. But anyway. When I was in nursing, my friend, Carol.

[00:01:53] We’re still friends to this day. She was the first one that witnessed the gospel to me.  That’s when I first heard the gospel at age 17. Now when I heard it, it was such a fantastic thing to me. We had piles of books to be studying for nursing, but I had felt like I was not sure I wanted to go into nursing. I mean, I felt like I was scooted into nursing. Anyway, so, yeah, so I thought, no, this seems to be even more important.

[00:02:20] I need to find out if there is a God, what he wants me to do with my life. And that was what I started doing. I left nursing, put down the other books and started reading the Bible and Billy Graham’s books.

[00:02:32] And finally, after some months might’ve, might’ve been a year. I, I thought Billy Graham was absolutely, very convincing in his book called peace with God.  Every chapter was something like God, the Bible, the devil, heaven, hell. Very simple thoughts that attracted me because I wanted to know what on earth was going on.  Through that book, I decided that that made the most sense and that I needed Christ in my life. That’s when I actually accepted the Lord became a Christian. I was blessed to be surrounded by about four other girls who were just now also making that decision and coming to the Lord. And we were blessed to go to, several churches that had very good preachers. And so, from there we could grow.

[00:03:17] Oh, so then after I left nursing, I had to work for a while and then I thought I’d go back and go to college. But I met him at AT&T he was just so you can know he was the man next to the top, man. In other words, he was an important man there. And he had waited all his life to meet the right person.

[00:03:39] He had become a believer. Don’t want to go off too much on a tangent. But anyway, so the way we got to know each other was sharing our church bulletins over the file cabinets every once in a while, and talking. Well, then he’d ask my boss. He was my, he was the boss over my boss. So, he would ask my boss if he could have me over to his desk to help him with some work.

[00:04:00] Of course, he had ulterior ideas and wanted to get to know me.

[00:04:04] Erin: He was sneaky.

[00:04:06] Darragh: He was being very sneaky. And so anyway, basically that’s how we got to know each other. Then we would sometimes go to lunch together, but that would start rumors. So, because we’d have to go way out of the way from the office.

[00:04:21] Anyway. I guess it was a year, so yeah, I guess it was a year that he started talking marriage and all, and I would say, no, I know you’re much too old. And yet we so enjoyed being together that finally we called in these pastors and they said, yes, you should go ahead and marry. So, we did.   We ended up finally having our first child. Then we had two more. So, a total of three, two girls and a boy.  Of course, my faith meant everything to me and mothers fortunately, didn’t have to go to work at that point. I didn’t have to. I felt like three children was, it was plenty.  It was busy all the time. Given that I wanted to also be a part of my church, my choir, and, make homemade meals. And my husband was thrilled to find a woman that wanted to do that. So that was what I did until my youngest was 13.

[00:05:13] When then I did go and work for dentist’s dental assistant.

[00:05:17] Then he passed on that was now mind you at 1980. So now I have actually been, I realized 40 years widow, but I started a childcare business because I was good with children.

[00:05:28] So my childcare business was not one of these homes where you have children running around in every room. No, they would come and interview.  How would I be treating them; how would I raise them?

[00:05:40] I let them know that I was a believer, a Christian. They were going to be raised by a Christian. Well, I only had to advertise once and got a start.

[00:05:50] A professor of economics from Villanova university, to this day we’re friends. I been to her daughter’s wedding. I had her daughter at three months old I didn’t have to advertise more than the onetime because. This mother was so happy with the setup that she told others.   I would take it the most for and keep my rates up.

[00:06:10] Cause now I was a widow and had to keep my home and support my family and the Lord just bless me, bless my business. And everything went well.

[00:06:20] My own children, they all have accepted the Lord. I’m very grateful to say that Each one is really a very devout believer.  That’s a story of my background.

[00:06:31] Erin:  I’m sure you’ve had a great impact on all those families. When I think about the kids that went through your house, and raising them.

[00:06:38] Darragh: I hope so. We tried to do a good job with them, you know?

[00:06:41] Erin: Darragh, the reason I, wanted to have you on the podcast is because you have made a real big impact in my life.

[00:06:49] Darragh: I’m so honored to hear that Erin.

[00:06:52] Erin: So Darragh and I were in a Bible study for several years.   The way she knew her Bible, the way she knew God’s word made a real big impact in my life. And actually Darragh, I was telling Mark the other day, that when someone would mention a verse, but not really know it, then I would get out my phone and I would use Google. And that you would still sometimes beat me- often beat me to the verse.

[00:07:18] Darragh: Well, I didn’t know the scripture reference. I just, I know the words cause that’s what impacted me, but I know more reference just cause I’m older now, but I, and I never learned it by the way, Erin, by memorization. I noticed in a lot of classes today, every class I go to, I think they’ll say.

[00:07:38] Take this verse and memorize, say it over and over and it, well, I know that’s one way to do it, but ask me how I learned to memorize, it was not by saying it over and over.

[00:07:48] Erin: Yeah. How did you get to know your Bible like that?

[00:07:50] Darragh: Well, I’d say, first of all, we went to school in a day public school when the Bible was read every morning. And I can remember this one girl, Mary Corona. I’ll never forget her name. Mary Corona Shea was her name who would volunteer to read the Bible every morning.

[00:08:07] And so it was one of the Psalms most times. Now, if you hear Psalm 121, I will lift up my eyes unto the Hills from whence cometh, my help. The whole song. And I can say it to this day. I think I could say it to you till the end, because she read it so frequently. But how wonderful now at that point we had no idea how important the Bible was.

[00:08:29] It wasn’t a Christian school, you know, but just the fact that I heard these things. Then after I became a believer, they would come back to me. And to this day, I know a lot of those Psalms just because she read them always in junior and senior high.

[00:08:45] Erin: That’s actually one of the verses that I remember learning with you. I remember, we were supposed to say it in our Bible study. And I remember you said, can I say it in a different version because I already know it in a different version.

[00:09:00] Darragh: And to this day, I try to just keep to the old King James, because that’s how I’ve learned them. And now there’s so many different versions and I’m afraid that I’ll forget what I’ve learned if even with our community Bible study every week, we’re memorizing a verse, they’ll say it, our facilitator will have a, say it as a group and I’m secretly saying it the way I know it. Cause I’m afraid off just quietly to myself. Cause I don’t want to forget it, you know? So that would be one way.

[00:09:28] But then the other thing was, I guess even a bigger factor.  When you asked the question, how did you get to know your Bible this way, Erin, I really just had a need. I just, you know, being a young believer and my family, not behind me now, I had five siblings and both parents and while they were good and we had a good, a nice family life, I will say as a young person, but I needed to know the promises. And so, when I’d read the word. They stuck with me. They just stuck with me, I guess I would, I guess I would memorize them at that time.

[00:10:04] Like if, for instance, if it said, you know, God will provide all your needs according to his riches in glory, by Christ Jesus. Then I’d say to myself, Oh, that’s right promises. So, I needed, I needed to know them. And I felt that that’s what caused me to remember the word.  I don’t know if that’s the main thing, but it seemed to me that God gave me a strong appetite for the word that I needed.  That’s what I think caused me to remember it.

[00:10:34] Erin: Darragh. I love that you let your need and your questions drive you to God’s word. And I love the importance that you, you let being with God carry in your life.

[00:10:51] Would you share some verses with us that you’ve gone back to through the years that give you encouragement and strength in times of trouble and in times of need?

[00:11:01] Darragh: I’m thinking of these special verses that spoke to me so much, first of all, that. First Psalm saying that blessed is the man that doesn’t walk in the counsel of the ungodly, but it’s as light as in the law of the Lord. And in this law, does he meditate day and night? Well, that spoke to me because then it goes on to say he will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water and whatever he does will prosper.

[00:11:24] Well, that spoke to me very young. There’s more verses like that. That was just one. But that truly spoke to me strongly.

[00:11:33] It’s like the new Testament one where you seek first, the kingdom of God and everything else will be added.

[00:11:39] I guess they just, they spoke to me, they just said to me, well, then keep it simple and seek first the kingdom, or don’t let the book of the law to part out of my mouth. And that would make me hungry to know the word, you know what I’m saying?

[00:11:55] Erin: What about, at the time when you became a widow, when you lost your husband and you had three kids at home, what was that time period like for you in your need for God’s word?

[00:12:08] Darragh: Well, I needed it all the more, right. I needed it all the more. And when people say they have no time for God’s word, then I say, you’re too busy then, because I tell you this. When we had the third child, now I had a husband that had important job at work and three children to raise in the fear of God.

[00:12:31] We never had that much time to watch TV, but if I did watch it at night after nine o’clock previous to that, when the third child was born, I felt like I had so much responsibility as the mother of this house with these children and this husband, you know, that I absolutely needed to get up in the morning. Needed to make time is what I’m saying for that time with the Lord. So, I’d make sure that I was in bed by nine and other words had the TV off or whatever. Might’ve been keeping me up, got up early and ever since she was born. Now she’s 47, I believe this year, my youngest child. I can really think I could count on one hand the days that I’ve missed getting up in the morning since she was born to have that time with the Lord. And then the thing about that is that’s not a chore. Becomes such a blessing that it grows. So, people say, well, you know, then you get to a certain stage in life where you have more time to, but now it’s nothing to me.

[00:13:32] I get up every day, I’d say by five, I was up at five this morning. And can just spend that time till maybe seven and just enjoy it because of course now I don’t have to rush out to work or anything. So, I’m just saying, that’s my story. I don’t know. One of your questions was what, drew you to study God’s word? Where first of all, it was the need.  

[00:13:55] You start to realize that. studying God’s word, it’s not just something that we’re called to do and something, Oh, I must do. It becomes a part of you. It becomes that you were able to cast your cares on the Lord that day. And then you begin to see what a difference it makes.

[00:14:12] Not only that way, not only getting your prayers answered. But listening, being still before the Lord.  Be still and know that I am God, you know, you just in quietness shall be your strength. So, you’re quiet and you get ideas that you would not have gotten. Had you torn out of the house to do whatever you, your calling is outside the home.

[00:14:32] It grows on you. In other words, it gets to a point where. You don’t want to do without it. You can do that. Cause you’re not dependent on even your quiet time, but you don’t want to, because it’s made such a difference. He’s made a difference in every way. It saves you time in the end. This is what I think. I’m trying to say.

[00:14:51] Erin: I have been contemplating through the idea of, I guess maybe the way that you said it, that need, that drove you to study God’s word. I think sometimes that need comes when you just realize the hard thing that you’re being called to in front of you.  Whether it’s to raise your kids godly or, whatever that, that big thing in front of you is. Sometimes we focus on the big thing and the challenge, instead of focusing on the joy that it is, that God will help us fill that need. 

[00:15:28] I have been contemplating before this conversation, how that need, that you had in that place of seeing your need is actually something that is affected me greatly. Right. And it is so encouraged me, not only by watching you walk out your faith, but it’s also encouraging me to say the hard thing that I see that is driving me to God’s word that that is fruitful. That how fruitful is it to go to God in my need?

[00:16:05] Darragh:  First of all, I can hear emotion in your voice and that would be our Erin. I know when you’re talking your heart, you can feel it. And absolutely.  cause I think that God seems to allow that we all have some need really, some are harder than others. You know what I mean? But the good thing is it drives us to him.

[00:16:26] Erin: I totally agree. And it’s hard to understand. Nobody wants to go through these hard things, but I guess what I’ve been realizing is that when hard things come, I can look at them with joy. Like it says in, James one,

[00:16:43] ” consider it pure joy. My brothers, when you face trials of many kinds.” I can face those trials with joy because They bring us towards knowing who God is.

[00:16:54] I’m realizing that it is the times of struggle that I’ve gone through that I’m now talking about with other people to encourage them in their own times of struggle. And it encourages me so greatly when I have challenges that drive me to God’s word.

[00:17:09] I’m realizing more and more how God uses the struggle to drive us to him. That we can point others to him.

[00:17:17] Darragh: And thank the Lord

[00:17:19] Erin: What encouragement would you say if you were talking to someone who said, I don’t know how to make time.  I don’t think I have time.

[00:17:28] How would you encourage them?

[00:17:29] Darragh: I just say there’s nothing more important calling on your time than knowing God’s word. And so, If they’re too busy. I’d say I just changed something. If you, if you give up a meal or whatever you might have to do in your situation, but you must have time. Because it’s the most important thing that you need to know in your life.

[00:17:52] what would be more important?

[00:17:53] Erin: I agree with you, Darragh. I think that that is a big objection though. And I think listening to what you said today, what’s sticking out to me the most is that you realized the need.  It’s a humbleness to realize that you need help. Right.  And when you realize that you need help, the question is where will you go for that help? Will you just in your own strength, try and muster it up, or will you, go to a person or, you know, whatever it is.  But I think. The wisdom that you’re saying is that you had a need for it, that you were seeking it.

[00:18:35] I think it’s that you really realized that God was the only answer for the problem that you had in front of you.

[00:18:42] Darragh: Pride is the only thing that keeps us from seeking help from the Lord who made heaven and earth, that, that verse versus coming to my mind. But I’m just saying, if one feels like, Oh, I’ll get through this and I’ll find the way and leaves the Lord out then, that’s a mistake because that’s pride and pride is the root sin of all mankind, you know, so, I’m just thinking of this one other verse. That’s so appropriate that spoke to me in Jeremiah. Don’t know exactly, but I know it’s Jeremiah. When you truly seek me with all your heart, then you shall ever surely find me. So, I know that. I was at that point to where I thought, you know, if God be God, why try to fool him.

[00:19:25] I’m going to seek him with all my heart. And then you find him. That’s the thing that I love.

[00:19:29]    Erin: Yes. that is very comforting.  knowing that when we seek God, we will find him.

[00:19:35] Darragh: I think that’s very comforting to know. When you truly seek me with all your heart, then you shall ever surely find me. It is the personal knowing the Lord. And I find that very comforting too.

[00:19:49] Erin: Darragh, I appreciate so much the words of wisdom that you are speaking.

[00:19:56] Darragh: Well, that’s my experience anyway, you know.

[00:19:59] Erin: I was wondering, would you feel comfortable closing us in prayer?

[00:20:03] Darragh: Oh, sure. Yes. I’ll be glad to close if you want me to.

[00:20:07] Lord, we just thank you again for this time. Lord, we thank you for the privilege of first of all, knowing you by your marvelous grace Lord, that you’ve watched over us and taught us your ways and showed us your care.  I pray Lord and help us to find a way closer and closer to your day by day. Thank you Lord that you are faithful, even though our troubles can seem so difficult.  but anyway, somehow Lord, you always took care of it and so I thank you Lord, for your goodness and mercy that you promised follows us all the days of our lives. I pray Lord that anybody hearing anything about these words of mine today might bring comfort, joy, and assurance to their heart.

[00:20:50] Bless their family. Keeps them ever safe and close to you. I pray in Jesus name.

[00:20:57] Erin: Amen.

[00:20:59] Darragh, thank you so much.

[00:21:00] Darragh: You’re more than welcome. Bye

[00:21:03] Erin: You guys, I want to encourage you, whatever challenges you’ve been walking through in your faith, whether it’s losses or questions that you have. When you reach that place of struggle that we’re talking about, in those moments and those challenges, think about what it would be like to stand on the other side and tell about God’s faithfulness through it. And think about James one verse two, that you might be able to consider it pure joy when you face those challenges. Let those challenges drive you to God’s word.

[00:21:37] Friends,

[00:21:37] thank you for joining us for our conversation today. I pray that it was a blessing to you.

[00:21:42]   I would love to connect with you on Instagram or Facebook and continue this conversation.

[00:21:48] I can be found there at steps to trusting in both of those places.

[00:21:52] Links can be found in the show notes.

[00:21:55] Don’t forget to like, and subscribe so you don’t miss the next show. 

[00:22:09] And don’t forget, we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. I am praying for you as you keep on stepping. Blessings, friends.