Long Country Road Leads to God Marty Rayborn might have racked up 22 chart singles, 11 number on hits and a Grammy with country band Shenandoah, but nothing compared to the day he gave his life over to God. by Teresa Lockhart       “You know, Lord, I want you to make me a big country music star. That's what I want to be.”     Years ago Marty Raybon probably never realized how closely the Lord was listening to his prayers. Though he paid his dues—struggling to survive after quitting his job in Jacksonville, Florida, and moving to Nashville, Tennessee—Marty eventually hooked up with members of a band in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, who later came to be known as Shenandoah. The five-member band soon became one of country music’s most successful groups, racking up 22 chart singles, 11 number one hits, and numerous awards, including a Grammy.     Marty speaks candidly about his early spiritual life during a recent television appearance on 100 Huntley Street. He says that even though he was granted everything stardom could ever offer there was something missing in his life. He knew then the void could only be filled by God.     “I was running away from the Lord,” Marty remembers, pointing out that he had felt God's tug on his heart for two years before surrendering his pride. He recalls the moment when he was confronted with the truth. It was March 15, 1991, and he had recently returned home from the road. “I was drunk as as skunk,” he admits. “I was burnt to a frazzle, at my rope’s end.”     Though his professional life was climbing to the pinnacle of fame and fortune, Marty’s spiritual life continued to spiral downward, and the award-winning vocalist began to feel the effects of years of alcohol and drug abuse. On that day he felt as though he were going to die and he knew then he had to make a decision. “The whole world had gotten a hold of me, and I knew it,” he confesses.     Marty had grown up in a Christian home, and when he was six years old, he made a “head knowledge” committment to the Lord. But, Marty says, that wasn’t enough. It wasn’t until he had everything the world had to offer that he knew he was missing the most important thing in life—a heart knowledge of Jesus Christ.     “Now I'd rather see the Lord’s face than His hands,” he says, referring to his personal relationship with Jesus.     Marty’s decision has had a significant impact on those around him. He has seen fellow band members make decisions in their own lives, and most importantly, he says, he has seen his own children make commitments to Christ. His oldest son is in seminary, studying to be a preacher.     Marty has since left Shenandoah and has embarked on his own solo career. He has taken with him a boldness to share the gospel wherever he goes. He tells the story of traveling down a highway in the South and seeing a group of four prisioners working along side the road. Marty says he stopped and asked permission from their supervisor to share the gospel with them. As a result, three of the men accepted Christ as their personal Savior.     “I don’t mind being bold. I don't mind being told by the Lord what He wants me to do. I don't mind saying things to somebody that offends them because the gospel—the truth—will offend people,” he explains.     Raybon says that he just wants to feel the urge that moves him to share the gospel. His prayers are no longer for self-indugent pleasures of what the Lord can do for him. All he asks of God now, he says, is to “let me be dependent on You.” [LLN-Online] [Adopt-a-Block] [Newsbriefs][Event Calendar] [Lifestyles] [Juke Box] [Cover to Cover] [Movieguide][Casting the Net] [Viewpoints] [General Info] [Rates & Sizes][Marketplace/Classifieds] [Volunteer Ops] [Writing Guidelines] [Contact Us] [Subscribe][Archives][Good News] [About Us][Links]