My Testimony

I recently turned in an application at The Master's College and for part of the application they ask you to share your testimony. Since I took the time to write it all out I figured I would just post it here too.

My Testimony:

I was born and raised in a Christian home. My parents have been believers since their childhoods and my grandparents are saved and many of my great grandparents were saved as well. Based off of that, I have grown up with a strong Christian heritage.

My family attended Grace Community Church through my entire childhood. When I was very young I would pray every single night that Jesus would come into my heart so that I could go to heaven. As years went by things began to click and I made sense of the fact that I was a sinner and due to my sins I would go to hell when I died. I also understood that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and that if I would go to Him for forgiveness I could be saved from the certainty of hell and go to heaven when I died.

On my 7th birthday I was in tears when my mom came in my room to tuck me in bed for the night. I told her I was going to go hell and she helped me pray to ask Jesus into my heart.

When I was 14 and in 9th grade my family moved to Valencia, California. At that time we also began attending Placerita Baptist Church. I was involved in the youth group, a weekly Bible Study, and a Sunday School teacher for the 2’s and 3’s. When I was 17 I was baptized.

Growing up at 2 great churches I always saw the importance of developing my relationship with Christ. I loved the Lord and trusted Him and continued to pursue Him, but was always off and on with that pursuit. When I was about 17 or 18 I truly began to see how much of a box I was keeping God in. I began to see how HUGE He is and just how much He is capable of doing/accomplishing. I began to see the importance of prayer. Prayer that lets you know the Lord, prayer that lets you praise the Lord, prayer that lets you petition the Lord. From the age of 17 until now I can say that I have grown much in the Lord. I trust Him fully and completely.

When I was 22 I married a man named Kevin. We grew up together at PBC. We were involved in music ministry together and had a great and solid friendship. We planned on growing together in the Lord, being involved with music/worship at whatever church we would find ourselves at (Kevin is in the military), having an open home for people to know and experience the love of Christ, and planned to raise a godly family. Being a linguist Kevin even expressed desire to learn other languages and help to translate the Bible where it hasn’t yet been. Unfortunately, three months into our marriage Kevin turned his back on his Savior completely. Due to his full rejection of Christ, Kevin also rejected me and 16 months after our wedding Kevin filed for divorce.

The year I spent married to an unbelieving husband did more for my spiritual growth then any of the 22 previous years combined. I learned that Kevin had voided me of his protection so when I felt fear or vulnerable I had to trust the Lord for my protection. I learned that I will never doubt God or His existence or perfection or His Word due to the fact that through all the suffering I was still able to love my husband and pray and weep for him and that is only due to the grace of my Lord being put into my life. I learned that there were extreme parallels in my marriage and to Christ’s relationship with the world. Christ knows what it is to love and sacrifice and be rejected. The pain I had in knowing what Kevin was choosing was pain I had for one person, Christ has that pain for the world. I learned that the church is vital for support, counsel, wisdom, strength, help, encouragement and protection. I learned how much I cherish my family and friends and church. I drew relief in the fact that though my world was spinning and barely functioning I could fully depend on a God who promises to never change. I learned that I will hang onto Christ with every shred of my existence and when someone I am committed to and whom I wholeheartedly love tells me I am a fool because of it, I will love Christ even more.

I am now working on getting life back in order. I’m adjusting to being back in Santa Clarita again. I’m getting involved at Placerita again. I play the violin every Sunday night in the worship band. I am meeting new people and establishing relationships with them. I am so thankful for the elders and for Pastor Scott at Placerita. They have been a backbone of truth and encouragement to me during this time. They are supportive of me as I step forward with life. I trust the Lord in His purposes and what He wishes to accomplish and I am looking towards the future to see what His plans are for me.