Story
It is always exciting to hear people's stories. I had a conversation with my friend Aaron last night and we shared how God in his infinite mercy reached down and pulled us into His everlasting embrace. Talking about such things with people brings that inward feeling of Christian fellowship, which definitely draws people closer together. As I was blogsurfing today I stumbled here as I do every so often, and read part of the story that has drawn someone else to this everlasting life in Christ. It was touching. I think we should share our Salvation stories more often, it is so encouraging to read.
My story began in the basement of a church. I was attending Awan Club as a six year old child. I went to this club for as long as I can remember (before being six). I was in church from the womb, it was just something my mother had us do, not against our own will. So, this one day the teacher Ruth Barber was telling the story of Daniel, and how in the Lions Den he sought out help from God. As a six year old, the natural reaction would be "I would like scream and run around if I was in a lions den" but deep inside I felt this pulling (I guess now your would describe it as a wooing). I asked to be excused to go to the washroom. In the washroom I knelt down on the toilet seat and asked Jesus to take over my life, just like He did in Daniel's. Life did not have a complete turn around. I was six, there was nothing that I had to turn around from. Nonetheless I had a new life in Christ. I continued to go to church, be involved in the youth group and just serve God in the only way I knew. It became boring though. God was too inthe box for me and I just got frusterated with my relationship with God. I felt that I could chew solid food, even without reading my Bible. Suddenly I felt that I was going downhill, but I didn't know what to do. I thought, once a Christian always a Christian, so I let myself go on the downward spiral. Certain situations encouraged me in this destructive, ungodly lifestyle including the seperation of my parents. I stopped eating so that I could gain some control over my unruly life. I felt that I had gained control. I was surreal, Nirvana to some. Through this God was moving my mother into a new phase of her Christian walk, which introduced her to the Pentecostal beliefs. I just followed because at the time, I had nothing else to do. Things started to get better, I was numb, and this chuch that I was at brought me the God that I was searching for years earlier, but I was not in the state to accept it. I wanted to after seeing my mother and brother transformed, I so wanted everything. I decided in my mind that regardless of what life handed me, I was going to stick close to God, and he would straighten my paths. I had no idea what I was saying. When you say to God "sure I'll serve you with everything in me" he hold you to it. I still struggled, the family situation got progressively worse, and things again were going against me, but my decision to go through it with God made all the difference.
Anyway, that is the condensed version. Be encouraged :) and thank you and Aaron for sharing your stories.
It is always exciting to hear people's stories. I had a conversation with my friend Aaron last night and we shared how God in his infinite mercy reached down and pulled us into His everlasting embrace. Talking about such things with people brings that inward feeling of Christian fellowship, which definitely draws people closer together. As I was blogsurfing today I stumbled here as I do every so often, and read part of the story that has drawn someone else to this everlasting life in Christ. It was touching. I think we should share our Salvation stories more often, it is so encouraging to read.
My story began in the basement of a church. I was attending Awan Club as a six year old child. I went to this club for as long as I can remember (before being six). I was in church from the womb, it was just something my mother had us do, not against our own will. So, this one day the teacher Ruth Barber was telling the story of Daniel, and how in the Lions Den he sought out help from God. As a six year old, the natural reaction would be "I would like scream and run around if I was in a lions den" but deep inside I felt this pulling (I guess now your would describe it as a wooing). I asked to be excused to go to the washroom. In the washroom I knelt down on the toilet seat and asked Jesus to take over my life, just like He did in Daniel's. Life did not have a complete turn around. I was six, there was nothing that I had to turn around from. Nonetheless I had a new life in Christ. I continued to go to church, be involved in the youth group and just serve God in the only way I knew. It became boring though. God was too inthe box for me and I just got frusterated with my relationship with God. I felt that I could chew solid food, even without reading my Bible. Suddenly I felt that I was going downhill, but I didn't know what to do. I thought, once a Christian always a Christian, so I let myself go on the downward spiral. Certain situations encouraged me in this destructive, ungodly lifestyle including the seperation of my parents. I stopped eating so that I could gain some control over my unruly life. I felt that I had gained control. I was surreal, Nirvana to some. Through this God was moving my mother into a new phase of her Christian walk, which introduced her to the Pentecostal beliefs. I just followed because at the time, I had nothing else to do. Things started to get better, I was numb, and this chuch that I was at brought me the God that I was searching for years earlier, but I was not in the state to accept it. I wanted to after seeing my mother and brother transformed, I so wanted everything. I decided in my mind that regardless of what life handed me, I was going to stick close to God, and he would straighten my paths. I had no idea what I was saying. When you say to God "sure I'll serve you with everything in me" he hold you to it. I still struggled, the family situation got progressively worse, and things again were going against me, but my decision to go through it with God made all the difference.
Anyway, that is the condensed version. Be encouraged :) and thank you and Aaron for sharing your stories.