Today's Bible Verse
When we call upon the Lord's name, it should be done from a place of thanksgiving. What He has done for us through His love and endless mercy is overwhelming to even think about. Come to Him with the praise that he rightfully deserves.
Everybody has a testimony!
Sometimes when we hear that word, we think it has to be a big elaborate story. It really doesn't. Whether you found Jesus in the depths of despair, at the bottom of a bottle of whiskey or while doing your dishes, you still have a story that matters. The truth is, no matter how you came to know the Lord, it IS a big elaborate story in the eyes of God. You're a child of God and He loves you! So don't shy away from sharing your testimony with people around you. We're called to be a witness to all that God has revealed to us, how He's changed us and it's our job to share that with as many people as we can!
"Make know His deeds among the people"
I'm tying this message into my #CTPgrind challenge blog post for day six because today, I finished another book called "How to Give Away Your Faith" by Paul Little. It's a fantastic book that talks about how we can do better in personal evangelism and share our testimonies in ways that are effective!
I am most likely the biggest introvert I know. I've claimed that title all on my own (because I'm never around anyone long enough to let them do it for me!)
I can't tell you how many people have said to me, "You're shy? I would have never guessed" - yeah, again, because I'm never around anyone long enough to let them see it! On top of that, I struggle with real anxiety that can be quite debilitating.
It's through that anxiety that I came to know Jesus at the age of 18 years old; and it was at 18 years old that I almost let that anxiety end my life....
My testimony
I remember laying on my bedroom floor staring up at my ceiling, with a bottle of pills in my hand. I was preparing myself to take the next step. I was so tired of feeling like I was completely out of control in my life.
As I laid there, all I could hear was my grandmothers voice in my head saying something that she used to say to me as a child and that is, "Take it to God. When you are hurting, bring it to Him and He will help you." I have to be honest, in that moment, I definitely didn't think it would work but I begrudgingly threw words up at my ceiling, saying, "God, I can't do this anymore. IF you are real, help me."
Not the most faith induced sentence, is it? But it's all I knew how to say at the time.
In that moment, I felt a physical shift in my body. The only thing I can equate it to is if you've ever seen the movie Ghost with Whoopie Goldberg and Patrick Swayze when his ghost enters her body, her whole body jolts forward with a whoosh. Now, if you were beside me, I don't think you would have seen me lift off the floor or anything but that's what it felt like inside of me!
I started to weep. I cried for hours until my tear ducts couldn't produce more tears. I cried because even in my copious amounts of unbelief (and anger) in Him; God still thought I was worth saving.
In that moment, I knew God was real. I never questioned it. It was instant. I felt Him.
The next thing I knew, I was on my hands and knees trying to dig through a very messy closet (anyone who has ever seen an 18 year old girls closet before understands this!) because I knew that in there, somewhere, was the only Bible I owned; a gigantic Catholic bible that my mom had passed down to me. I read it until the sun came up...
None of it made any sense. I didn't care.
It's been a long road from 18 to now 38, with many ups and downs! I do still struggle with anxiety every single day but I have learned something along the way - God doesn't always take you out of the struggle but He ALWAYS gets you through it.
You hit the nail on the head!
Struggles are part of life, I think that's the way we grow and evolve into the next stage. You're never alone with it, God is always beside you with it.
❤️ Thank you so much.
!CTP