Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Is there such a thing as a boring testimony?

Each time there's a discussion about sharing your testimony there seems to be a discussion about someone's testimony not really being exciting. I hear "I wasn't an alcoholic or a drug abuser to all of a sudden wake up and follow Christ", or "I was brought up in a Christian home, so it was natural to repent my sins when the time came."

Perhaps to Hollywood script writers not every testimony is meant for the big screen, but to God every single testimony is a beautiful proclamation that we should rejoice in and praise Him for having His hands on you the entire way.

I came to know Christ late in life. I joke (sort of) that I grew up with the religion of Christmas and Hanukah. My parents never embedded God, Christ, the Bible, the Torah or anything into my upbringing. Actually at one point in my life I turned off completely to any type of religious influence, as I declared myself an atheist (yes, I know "gasp").

Thankfully today I can see how God never left my side as I pursued getting to know Him better. After my husband and I married, like many couples during the first years we struggled with a new baby, financial woes and questions about where our future was headed. Unanimously we went to church and while I feel today that was the lowest part of our marriage, God led us to Compass Bible Church on a break in the book of Romans, to do Part 1 of the 5 Part Marriage series. Through tears and hand holding, my husband and I left church that evening craving more of His Word. 

Burying myself in the bible, diving into bible study and talking with Christians, I learned the Gospel, repented my sins and took notice of every message, every person and every situation that God put in my path in an effort to grow me.

While everything in my life from that point on changed, I noticed that change the most when the doctor came in to tell us there was problem with Baby A (Jack) and that they believed from the most recent test that he might be Trisomy 18 and may be stillborn, or perhaps pass before he was born. We were provided with the CA mandatory genetic counseling (yep, there's our tax dollars at work), to tell us we can rule this out if we were simply to have an amnio. My husband and I didn't need to say a word, we just looked in each other's eyes, with complete comfort in Him, and blurted out "no."

We both knew that if God's plan was to take our baby, He would do it in His timing. If I was allowed to carry Jack to term and he passed away, it was simply to glorify God. I just knew and felt complete comfort that God had a plan, and we were simply in it. I enjoyed the next 6 months of feeling kicks and pushes from both babies and thanked God for giving me those simple pleasures. I didn't enjoy my first pregnancy the way I did this one. Then again, I was not saved with my first pregnancy.
Love this handsome reminder of God's grace!

On July 15, 2010 I heard Jack cry and what a beautiful cry it was. He was a healthy baby boy. Thank you God!! Thank you!! Bella's cry was just as beautiful, let's give the girl credit. Today she's the last one who cries. Love her ability to handle any situation.

So if you grew up in a Christian home, with God-fearing parents–the glory is His. If you knew Christ at an early age and never really “fell away” or had a period of doubt–the glory is still His. If you find your testimony boring because you never found yourself homeless, addicted to drugs, or in jail–the glory is still His! Love your testimony and share it often with others.

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