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Going back I remember my childhood being filled with happiness and joy, mainly because of the christian atmoshere my household held. I was raised in a church body, along with a Christ loving family. I can not imagine what I would have done without this kind of support in my life. Now I was a good kid and at the age of only 7, I gave my life to Christ, I even got to have my Grandpa babtize me. It was the most important day of my life, even if I didn't realize it then. I was on fire for God, and I thought nothing would ever change that. I promised myself to never smoke, do drugs, drink, or to have pre-marital sex. I was very confident that I would live the life that Christ demanded of me. Well, going into my teenage years, that all changed. Before I knew it I was doing everything I said I would never do. Sure I still went to church often, and I still considered myself a good person. During this time I got into listening to immoral music, hanging out with immoral people, and basically living the life you would expect from a lost person. No one but my family and church could have known I was saved. Of course, my grades dropped, my standards as well, and finally I didn't even realize what my purpose for life was. I contemplated suicide, I filled my mind with hate and sorrow, never taking a look at what I had become. I had traveled on a path so far away from God, that it would take a miracle to ever expect to live the way God wanted me to and that is exactly what happened. All of this went on to about my senior year in high school, I was considered what you call a skater/stoner in my school. I took pride in being in a group considered the most rebelious in the school. My only idle had shot himself in the head, so you can see how big my self esteem was. Well, during my senior year I started to feel a little bit different than before. Slowly I started to dress nicer, I stopped smoking pot, and my grades began to improve. I consider this my first change into the direction of God, yet I still was holding on to my worldly ways. Then it happened, during the summer following my senior year, my church was sending the young children to a church camp called Disney. Donna Young, my old Sunday school teacher, called me up and asked if I would go as a sponsor, because of the need of one for the boys side. I took a day to think about it, my mind said no, but I felt somthing in my heart telling me to go. So I went. During the week, God literally changed my heart through the kids that were there. Seeing those kids praising the lord and singing, touched my heart in a way I had not felt before. I suddenly went back to my childhood, pondering about my care free days, when all I cared about was God, and the next time I would get to play with my He-man action figures. The week down at Disney filled my heart with laughter and joy, and suddenly I realized the importance of my journey. The Lord spoke to me with love and mercy, changing me in only a week. My family was stunned at the shimmer in my eye, and the caring in my voice. I was now as closed to God as I had ever been! Only about 2 months later, my youth minister asked me to teach Sunday school for the 6th through 8th graders. Looking back I cant believe how off track I had gotten. My state of mind was so low and I cant belive I actually survived my teenage years. The point is that God kept me in reach, never letting me get to far away from his side. True, I have regrets of my past, and I can never offer my future wife a pure and virgin body, but I have to look past that and look to the future. No one is ever to far away for God to change them, I am living proof. Every night I thank God for saving my soul and delivering me from evil even when I did not even realize it. I will never underestimate the power of God, for "I can do all things through christ, who gives me stregnth." "For all have sinned and come short of the perfection of God"-Romans 3:23 Click HERE to return to the edited story Click HERE to create a banner that links to this story! Your e-mail address will be kept private!
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