My Story

My story is one that might seem more suited for a Lifetime Original Movie, rather than actual life, but I assure you, it is all true. This is my story.

When I was a little girl, I grew up in a home that most would probably describe as "dysfunctional". I lived with my mother, grandmother, grandfather, and most of the time, various people that would rent a room so that my grandma and grandpa had a little extra help with bills and such. I never felt like I had a father growing up. Little did I know at the time, I did have a Father, and He is the greatest one that anyone could dream of.
My mother took me to church when I was younger, most of my preteen years I went to church, at least on Wednesday nights, sometimes Sundays too, and I even went to VBS one summer. I don't really remember much about my church days back then, nothing really sunk in. When my mom was going to be Baptized, I wanted to be too, but something inside me told me it was wrong to do it before I had truly accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior.
A couple months later, our church found out that our Senior Pastor was stealing from the tithe, and I, completely disgusted, never went back to that church for any length of time. The pastor was fired and a new pastor came in, but it wasn't the same, there was this untalked about tension in the air, and it was no longer the welcoming, loving church that I was used to.
I always knew that there was something more to the world than just some chemical belch that the universe did some billions of years ago, but never really having accepted Christ as my Lord, I turned to all the wrong things. I got involved with a religion that was just terrible, it was based on rituals and put too much emphasis on the creation, rather than the Creator.
During the holiday season when I was 15, my brothers, whom I hadn't seen since I was a baby, came to visit myself and my mom. They ended up staying with us, wanting to get away from our father, and so they did. A few months later, my virginity was stolen from me by my eldest brother, and I became pregnant.
I was scared, only a baby myself, and getting ready to give birth to a baby that I had kept hidden from everyone that I could. My mom never knew, but my brother did, and he was not the nicest person. He tried to kill the baby, by punching me in the stomach as often as he could, but I was determined to carry the baby and take care of her as well as I could. I was barely 16 when I gave birth, on Easter morning no less.
I knew that I couldn't raise a baby, so I did something that, even though the baby was unplanned and came in a way that I don't wish on anyone, it was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. I gave her up for adoption. Something told me that I needed to give her to a good, Christian family, even though I myself was not saved.
After that God continued to work on my heart. He never gave up on me. The next year, my grandmother died. I was very close to her, and her death just catapulted me further into depression.
Around a year later I met my husband, and he lent me the support that I needed, as well as brought me to church with him. It had been so long since I had been to church, and in the month we spent together before we got married, we had been twice, to two different churches, in two different states. And I liked it. And I listened. It would be another year before I accepted Christ into my heart, and I am so thankful for Him keeping me safe until I was ready to accept Him.

God took me in as a broken, depressed young girl who felt like nothing in the world would be right again, and brought the right people into my life to show me that I could still be saved. Up until that point I was so afraid that I would never be good enough for God. I wanted Him to love me, but I felt so ashamed, that I didn't think He could. But then I found out the best news I had ever heard: God loves us all. He loves us even though we don't deserve it. Even though we turn away from Him, and push Him away. Even though we are helplessly sinful in nature, and we are like dirty rags in front of His holiness. He loves us anyway. He loves us so much, in fact, that He came to Earth, in human form and led a perfect, sinless life all so that He could be beaten and slain on a cross by sinful men. He died to save the men that killed Him. He died to save me from the pain of my old life and the eternal pain of death. He died to keep me from going to Hell. He died to save you, too. He died for everyone, because He loves us that much.
And all He asks in order for you to recieve this gift of salvation, is that you trust in Him.

Jesus said to him, "I AM the way, and the truth, and the life; No one comes to the Father, but through Me." - John 14:6

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. - Romans 3:23

So, I ask of you, if you haven't recieved Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, that you consider it. Below I've included a link that will take you to a place where you can learn more about salvation.

http://searchthescriptures.org/#staystill
(just click on the box that says "Would you like to know God personally?")