My journey with Jesus began at birth. I had the privilege of being born into a Christian family. My parents went to church and took my sister and I from the time I could remember. I don't have a memory that doesn't include church, singing songs about Jesus and reading stories from the Bible. I loved going to church and singing all of the songs I had been taught about Jesus. Then when I was 5 years old, I made confession of faith and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I was baptized and we celebrated my decision with ice cream at my favorite place! Looking back, all I remember is being baptized and feeling like I was gonna drown, realizing my Momma didn't pack clean undies for me - so I had to go commando, and being SO excited to go to Pixie's and get a swirl cone. My sister had recently been baptized and taken to Pixie's so I wanted to do the same. I don't remember any kind of big change after that evening. My life proceeded as normal. I loved being in church! As I grew, church became a bigger and bigger part of my life. As I entered junior high/high school, youth group was my life. All that I did revolved around youth group. If there was a mission trip, I went. If there was a weekend retreat, I was there. My Christanity was upheld by the highs that were experienced on each retreat, trip, convention. I wasn't taught to do in the low times. There was an emphasis on having daily devotions....such an emphasis that it came out like a guilt trip if it wasn't done. It wasn't until college that I began to realize how to live life in the day to day - not just the highs.
I could write pages more of what God has done in my life since my high school and college years. I could give you minute details of my walk with Jesus. I could tell you how God has allowed some heart wrenching things in my life only to allow some of the deepest healing and satisfaction in Him that I would have never found without the pain. I could tell you of the insane amounts of joy - pure, Jesus drenched joy - that have seeped into every corner of my being. All of these things would give glory to God and hopefully show you what God can do with a life. But there are two words that would describe it all.. ...But God!!
But God saved me from the pits of hell, by His sovereign grace and mercy.
But God allowed my parents to divorce when I was 19 to teach me immense joy despite my circumstances.
But God...led me to an amazing college that would provide the friends and mentors that I would need to grow and start to become the woman He was calling me to be...then led me to the an incredible seminary and to the friends that would be the glue to hold me together.
But God....in His sovereign mercy allowed me to go through the end of my own marriage and be a single Momma at 29 to teach me who I am in Him and that He has an incredible plan even though the pain was more than I could bear.
But God....He gave me an incredible little boy to begin the healing process in my life when it was just he and I.
But God...let me feel like I was stranded on an island waiting for His plan to unfold.
But God...turned incredible heartbreak into incredible joy and peace.
But God...brought an amazing man into my life to show me how a wife should be loved by her husband, how a son should be loved by his daddy and how a family can be centered on Him and Him alone.
There's been some incredible things and some heart breaking things that God has brought into my life. But I know that everything that has come into my life has passed through God's strong and loving hands. I know that everything that has happened has been for His glory and for my growth. The past 32 years of my life have been pretty amazing...I can't wait to see what God has in store for the next however many He allows me to be on this earth.
