Sunday, April 20, 2008

How I came to know Jesus

Growing up I didn't believe in God, or at least I said I didn't, but deep down I was always wondering and questioning. I didn't even know anything about the real meaning behind Easter and Christmas, to me they were just about the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. Whenever I asked questions about God, my parents always told me I could believe whatever I wanted to. I had never been to a church service until I was 16, but I did go to a Christian kindergarten, and to a Vacation Bible School with my neighbors once. I'm sure there were people there who prayed for me! 

Throughout my school years I didn't have many friends. I was very shy and I cared too much about what people thought of me. I had a difficult time during Jr. High because the most popular girl in the school hated me for no reason. She wouldn't "allow" the other kids to hang out with me. Then there were the tough girls, who also didn't like me and would beat me up from time to time. When I was in 7th grade, there was one group of kids who accepted me-that was the druggie crowd. I promised myself I would just hang out with them but never do what they were doing. There is a Bible verse that says, "Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character," and that's just what happened!

For a few years I got into a lot of trouble, I even got suspended from school a couple times. In High School some of my friends, even my boyfriend, were satanists. I thank God that He protected me from really understanding what they were into. By my Sophomore year in High School I was very depressed and at the lowest point in my life. One day I was walking into a grocery store and there was a man standing outside the store handing out Gospel Tracts. As I was walking up to the man I knew there was something different about him, and I felt like anything he said was going to be good. He told me to put the tract into my pocket and read it later.

After I left the store, I forgot all about the tract. Three days later, I was at work and a friend I worked with was listening to a tape of the band Genesis. The song lyrics said something that made me think of the Bible and out of the blue I said, "maybe there is a God." I asked to borrow the tape and as I was going out to my car I remembered the tract and I read it. It was all about how Jesus is the Light of the World. When I got to my car, I popped in the tape and the very next song had words like, "all she had to do was step into the light." In that 5 minute car ride to my house, I knew that Jesus was in the car with me. I felt his presence and I knew he would forgive me for anything I'd ever done. I was laughing and crying at the same time. I knew I was forgiven and the entire world seemed brighter! I made a decision that day to follow Him all the days of my life.

My whole life changed! I broke away from that bad crowd and I started caring about school- really for the first time. I had new joy and a supernatural high that lasted! I read the entire New Testament of the Bible and much of the Old Testament. Jesus was my best friend and He healed me of the deep hurts of my childhood. And even though I have been through many hardships in my adult life, God has  always been there for me. He continues to teach me that He is in control, and that this life is a journey to be enjoyed till we see Him one day face to face.

2 comments:

  1. "God was never talked about in our family" not mine either. I am still praying for my parents to this day

    Im sori you had a tough time at school

    I thank God he brought you out of the place you were in
    Jen

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  2. School can be such a horrible place, aren't you glad your children never have to deal with that? Thanks for sharing your testimony, God has really used you for some wonderful things!

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