My Testimony: The Rest of the Story

(This is a photo I had taken after I realized what my God-given gift was.)

The day after I prayed the Sinner's Prayer, my life didn't magically and instantly become perfect. Instead, it has been a journey of self-discovery and study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. I've had bumps in the road, hard lessons to learn, and beautiful mountaintop experiences. That's all part of the package of becoming a mature Christian.

I vividly remember the first time someone at church said something rude to me. I was crushed! Spending the next day crying, I considered my options. Should I say something mean back to this person, quote Scripture condemning them to the congregation, or just find a new church? The Hubster had a better idea: get my eyes off other Christians and keep them on God, instead.

"People let you down, every time," he said, "God never does."

This rule has helped me get through many difficult situations. I'm not perfect, so how can I expect other humans to be that way? Maturing in the faith involves growing pains, and rightly so. I learned that I had to stay close to God through prayer, Bible study (both group and on my own), and listening to the urging of the Holy Spirit inside of me.

Now that I have over 30 years of Christ-following under my belt, some people think I know a lot about the Bible. I tell them this. I am a student of the Most High God. I will never stop learning until I reach the Promised Land. Failures teach vital life lessons. Treasure these.

One of the most important things the Spirit revealed to me is that my God-given talent is to be an encourager. I have a few things at which I am fairly proficient: I'm smart, a good writer, singer, teacher. Only when I stepped into the role of blog writer did God show me the plans He had made for my life. The more honest I got with my writing; revealing struggles I had come through, the more people responded.

I prayed to God, "What am I supposed to be writing about?"

He replied, "Share yourself with others. Be courageous."

So I stepped off the cliff, and I've been soaring ever since. It's scary and it's hard, but the rewards are heavenly.

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Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers! May God give you moments to reflect on His goodness this week.

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Health Update: I'm headed back to Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) on Sunday, with my next infusion on Monday morning at 11:30 a.m. Please pray for my complete healing and safe travels. I promise to continue praying for abundant blessings for you.

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Female in Motion Exercise Update: I did four 22-minute treadmill workouts last week. I'm finding that my motivation for exercise is waning. Precious Lord, kick my butt into gear!

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Notable Quote:

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (KJV) Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.