I grew up in a Christian home. We went to church
every Sunday and Wednesday. I don’t think I was ever really taught what it
meant to be a Christian though. I like to call my former Christian life, “Selfish
Christianity”. The only reason I knew to be saved was so I didn’t go to Hell.
Sharing the good news of Christ was never talked about. In my teen years I fell
away for God. I did what I thought would make me popular. That sometimes meant
drugs and or alcohol. I would even steal from stores just because my “friends”
said it was a good idea. I knew it was wrong but didn’t care. It made me happy.
At the age of 19 I had my first son and was married that same year. I was so
afraid of what my life would be like. I never went to college and I had no idea
what I was going to do for a living. I went from job to job never really
knowing where I belonged. By the time I was an adult I was back to the party
scene. I would drive home drunk and got kicked out of bars. I was so lost! I
thought the people I was hanging around actually liked me! I was lost, and
going in the wrong direction to boot.
Like
I said I grew up a Christian. I accepted Christ at the age of 11. Although I
never really knew what that meant until I was about 25. I was in a car riding
with an acquaintance from church, which we regularly attended and were members
of. He had randomly asked me if I wanted to go to a food show with him, so I
went. To this day I believe that as soon as we got in the car God threw Lou out
of the car and got into the driver’s seat. I remember hearing him talk and
everything became so clear to me. He talked about the role of a Christian and
the absolute truths of the Bible. I had never heard Christianity or the Bible
ever talked about like that before. I was excited and didn’t want him to stop
talking. Once we got to the show he apologized for talking so much! I told him
that it was fine, I was enjoying it. I didn’t accept Christ at that point, I
already had, but I reprioritized my life and became a follower of Christ, not
just a believer of Christ. There is a huge difference!
Since that car ride my life has been totally different.
Of course I slipped up every now and then (and still do), but things were different,
I was different. Slowly the things that “made me happy” stopped making me
happy. I first stopped going to the bar, then slowly stopped drinking all
together, I even quit smoking, cold turkey! I was no excited about sharing
Jesus, that’s all I wanted to do. I started looking for ways to share Jesus
with others and my attitude towards life was great, unlike before. But there
still was something missing. Fast forward about 5 years. This past fall I was
led by the Lord to walk to Washington D.C from Michigan to pray for the
president. That journey changed my life forever! God showed me what happens
when we are obedient and step out in faith. I gained the relationship with
Christ that I had been lacking (the missing piece). I was gone for 38 days. I
am now going to school for my degree in religious studies with a focus on
mission work, starting a ministry based on praying for our nation’s leaders and
writing a book about Gods faithfulness when we act in faith and are obedient to
His calling! Without Jesus none of this would have ever happened. Since that
car ride, since I saw Jesus for who he is, my life has been, WOW! I love life,
I love living life but most of all I love to share my story of Jesus Christ and
what he has done for me and continues to do.
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