My Story

Well, folks, this is another serious post today. I would like to share my story with you...cause it's definitely worth sharing! We recently had a conference at our church called "Every Believer a Witness." The speaker said he could teach us to share our faith in a simple way, without memorizing anything or offending anyone. I couldn't imagine what he would have to share with me! Well, it is simple...I'm not trying to "convert" people by sharing my faith with them...I am simple telling MY story of what Christ means to me....what He's done for ME! So, today, I am here to share my story with YOU! Maybe you've have a similar story, maybe you can relate to only parts of my story, but my guess is we've all been in the same boat at one point or another!

The beginning:

Well every story has a beginning...mine begins in Rogers, AR. (well, near there, at least!). I grew up in NW Arkansas in a sweet little house my parents built. I had a very happy childhood with Mom, Dad, and my sister, Emily. When Emily and I were young, Mom stayed home with us. Then, when we were both in school all day, she worked part-time. In her other time, she volunteered at our school and picked us up each afternoon. I have wonderful memories of my childhood. We had a happy home with a cute little dog! We attended church together as a family, going every time the doors were opened, it seemed! If there was something going on, we were there! Emily and I were in the AWANA program which was a fun way to learn more about the Bible. Most of our friends were also at church, so it was (and continues to be) a positive thing in my life.

The middle:

This is where the story gets good! When I was seven our church invited a guest speaker for the week. His name was Angel Martinez and he was known for his colorful suits! Ok, ok, maybe he was known for teaching about Jesus, but he was also memorable for the bright sport coats he wore! Now, I'd grown up in church and known about Jesus and heard about becoming a Christian my whole life. But there was something about Mr. Martinez's teaching that really made me listen up! I knew I wanted in on this "going to heaven" thing. I wanted Jesus in my heart. I was a shy kid, so I never told anybody about this (bet my mom is kinda surprised right now!!) I thought I had to figure it out and do it all myself, cause it was a "personal" decision. Well, I kept it personal all right. I remember laying in bed and praying every night for a week. I'd ask forgiveness of my sins and ask Jesus to live in my heart. Finally, I realized it was silly to repeat the same plea. Either God heard me, or he did not. Either I really believed, or I didn't. I'd love to tell you I had a huge conversion "ah-ha" moment, but I do not recall that kind of experience. I can tell you that my faith is real! The peace I feel in my heart is real!

When I was twelve I felt a little tug in my heart. I knew it was time to own up to this "God" I'd begged and pleaded to lead my life. So, I made a public commitment by walking that aisle and asking the pastor to baptize me. Everyone celebrated and I knew I'd done something huge. I am glad I can remember that step of faith. I was shy, remember, so it was hard for me to stand up in front of the entire church, but then, they were so happy and it was such a time of celebration! The same is true for this blog post! I guess I'm still a little shy, but I'm going to put myself out there and hope for a celebration at the end!

The continuing story:

Well, it doesn't end with being baptized. I've learned to deepen this relationship with Jesus daily. He has become my best friend! I learned to trust him more closely in my Jr. High years. I really struggled with friendships. I made friends easily enough, but didn't have that one true friend who stuck by my side. Junior high girls aren't nice, but Jesus is trustworthy! My parents did their best to encourage me, and I did have friends, but I really learned to lean on Christ as my dearest friend. That became even more meaningful to me when I moved away to begin college. I was away from my safety net and out of my comfort zone! I was thankful to have Jesus by my side and glad I'd learned to trust his friendship first!

I still have struggles with friendship from time to time. And struggles of all sorts all the time. I'm so glad to have family and friends who are like family in my life. I am glad for my fellow church members who feel a little like extended family! Not to mention God's unfailing Grace and the promise of Heaven!

Jonathan and I pray that our children will have a happy home and learn to trust Jesus too! It is a big scary world out there and I can't imagine facing it alone!