He Speaks
in every issue
A
fter graduating high school, my desire to see what was “out there” led me to
a hippie camp ground in the Florida Everglades where I would spend a few
months and return home with a girlfriend. I would later marry her and have my
first son, Ben. Prior to his birth, I was still living the same destructive lifestyle
when I decided to to attend the annual World Champion Fiddlers Convention, which, at the time
was a bluegrass version of Woodstock. The best way to explain this experience is to say it was a
party of 300,000 with every kind of drug and moonshine for sale, openly, everywhere.
However, I don’t remember seeing anybody getting out of line, though, since the Hells Angels
were the security. It was in this godforsaken place that after three days of immersion in that
wretched culture, I awoke, lying on my back on the ground, on Easter Sunday morning. The
music had stopped and the place was trashed. (period) At that time, all the illegal stuff was “on
sale,” which meant one could get more bang for their buck, yet, I was no longer interested. The
first and non-relenting thought that pierced my heart was, “What a dreadful place to be on the
day that the world celebrates the Resurrection of our Savior!” God began to deal with me on my
hitchhike home that day. When I got back to my little cabin in the woods, I told my seven month
pregnant wife that I had decided to give my life to Jesus.
Sadly, in the time after that, with no mentor or person in my life to help me stay on the path
that I so wanted to be on, I gradually went back to my old ways. Just as distant from God as I’ve
ever been, the marriage to my son’s mother ended. Time would pass and I remarried and God
blessed me with a beautiful baby girl, Hannah. The marriage that produced her, however, failed.
The one thing in my life that never changed during the time that passed since my experience
at the Fiddlers Convention was that Jesus never left me. Though I had fallen away from the
God who had so convicted my heart that fateful Easter Sunday morning, the experience was
real. Even when I let go of Him, He held on to me. Then, in the early 90s my dear mother was
persistent in “bugging” me to get back in church. I began attending Word of Faith Church in
Marion, SC and after about three months was “roped” into being in their Christmas play. It was
a western version of the birth of Christ from the book of Luke. My part was narrator of the story
and while studying my lines the Christmas story sunk deep into my heart, once again convicting
me of my desperate need of the Savior. One Sunday night Pastor Hank Reynolds asked if anyone
would like to Re-dedicate their life to God. I knew in my spirit that’s exactly what I needed to
do. Word of faith was a very loving church family that helped me grow in my faith. Soon I found
myself on the praise team and involved in prison ministry. How ironic that the little chapel at
the Marion County prison farm, where I had a brief stay as a teenager, would one day be the
place where I grew the most in my journey in Praise and Worship Ministry.
Since that time God has blessed me with the privilege to use the gifts that He has given me to
lead worship not just in churches local, but, to go to other nations in His name. I really wish it
hadn’t taken me so very long to understand just how unconditional God’s love is for me. There’s
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Higher Grounds Photography
NOVEMBER 2015
nothing I can do to earn it, deserve it or even change it. My simple mind can’t begin to grasp the
greatness of His love for me through Jesus. I am still and forever amazed that He is sovereignin EVERYTHING. Even though I have free will and the whole world has free will, it still doesn’t
change His plans. He is in control of ALL things. Even after serving God with all of my heart,
mind, soul and strength for years, I still lose sight of this sometimes, but I am thankful that when
I come to the end of myself, God is patient with me to realize once again that He is Lord of all.
Though I knew fully that God has forgiven me of my sins- past, present and future, I had come
to believe that because I spent youth outside of His good and perfect Will, I had missed out on
finding His perfect love for me. In fact, I had told God that though I could accept that, if it was the
case, I did not want to settle for anyone less than His best for me. So, if I had missed “her,” not to
let me find a substitute. After all of my attempts to find true love had failed, I had given up and
I thought I was content with my solitary self. In this state, I told God, “I give up, let it be your will.”
I now see clearly that what God has planned for us, the world nor the enemy cannot take from
us. After many years of abiding in my singleness, God sent me my precious Melia. Now my life is
so much more fulfilling with a companion with whom to share God’s love and Life. After all, His
word says, “It is not good for man to be alone.”
The truth is, though I have always been blessed with many dear and close friends and my family, I have been a “loner” my entire life. Desiring to spend time in solitude is a need that developed in me after losing my father at the age of twelve. However, I truly always felt that God was
with me in my life, even though I was running from Him. I have grown to believe that God places
a special protection over the fatherless and He has lovingly fulfilled the Father role in my life.
My Mama always said, “God’s Word is a love letter written to us.” God loves us so much that
through Jesus he made a way for us to live forever with Him. He even gave us instructions on
how to live until we go home, and instructed us how to keep out of trouble, so we can have life
abundantly while here. Sure, we will certainly know trouble in this life, however, I’m sure mine
would’ve been a whole lot less had I just read that love letter sooner and taken it to heart.
Dan Shelley resides on his family farm in Marion purchased in 1942 by his grandparents, in a log cabin he
built by himself from hand-hewn repurposed wood. He is an organic farmer and beekeeper. After serving as
Praise and Worship Leader for years, Dan is now taking a break and enjoying the view from the pew, beside
his girlfriend. An artisan and craftsman, he has made a living for over 30 years building beautiful, authentic
willow furniture which is sold all over the country and abroad. One of his ornate beds can be seen in the movie
Made In Heaven with Kelly McGillis and Timonthy Hutton. A humble man, Dan would not share any of these
accomplishments except to boast in God’s goodness and would be quick to say, “I am nothing apart from
Christ.” To read learn more about Dan’s work, visit www.thewillowpatch.com.
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