Your stories....

This is the first of "your stories." As I receive your stories I will post a new one each Saturday morning. I am very excited about this opportunity for the body of Christ to write about what God has done in our lives, so here is the first story. Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing your story with us. -Mike

"I have never put my story into writing before....

I attended a Catholic school and had church-going parents. I was often told that if I was good, I was going to heaven. I was usually assured that, of course, I was going to heaven. That sounded pretty good to me. (I had not known what the term "born again" meant, nor had I ever thought I was not going to heaven.)

Not surprisingly, I found myself pretty far from God after I left the nest. But that was okay with me. I seemed to be doing fine. Plus, I was going to heaven. But, I found that my path wasn't as perfect as I intended for it to be. Was I really going to heaven? I made more mistakes. Oooh, maybe I'm not going to heaven.... Why couldn't I be the person I really want to be? Over a period of several weeks about a year and half ago, I became very concerned about my destiny and more certain that I was on a slippery and downward path.

At the same time, I had this severe, nagging feeling that I was missing one critical element in my life. It was something that would help my life to "click" -- to fit together nicely the way it should. But what WAS that missing thing? I also had a recurring thought over these several weeks that I needed a friend to tell me what that missing piece was. But I couldn't figure out WHO to call.... Who knew me well enough to know? Who knew the answer? My family knew me well... but they didn't have the answer. I knew some people who might have the answer, but they didn't know me very well.

After having these thoughts and feelings for several weeks, I flipped on the radio that our contractor left in our kitchen, looking for a "regular" station. However, I always seemed to land on the same crazy Christian station by accident. "Wow! Those Christians sure have a lot of money!", I thought. "They are taking over the radio!" I kept landing on the station. One day, it was "Back to the Bible"....

"Today, we're starting a new chapter in our Bible study. Everyone open your Bibles to the Gospel of John, Chapter 1." "Wow!" I thought, "I always wanted to do a Bible study!" As he explained that "the Word" was actually Jesus, I found our Bible, dusted it off, and quickly opened to the Chapter.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.....

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..."

"No way!", I thought. I was instantly brought to my knees in my living room at 2:10 in the afternoon by the incredible and sudden realization that Jesus was actually God. I had heard it thousands of times, but this time I knew it was amazing and absolutely true. I had instant tears and said that I was so sorry for Him for not knowing my whole life. The least that I could do for Him at that moment was to fully commit the rest of my life to him. I read the rest of John that night. I needed to know what to do.

The next morning, at about 10 am, I realized that I felt different. I had this very real and distinct sensation that I was different. Primarily, I felt forgiven. It was a physical feeling of having large sins and small regrets completely erased. I also had a very permanent sensation of feeling different inside... that I was now stronger and capable of becoming the person God wanted me to be. I can't describe how strongly that I knew that this feeling was real and permanent. I had not been expecting this.

I read the Gospel of Mark that night, then the New Testament, Revelations, Genesis, etc.. It was not until about three to four weeks later that I was told that my experience meant that I was saved. Since about that second day, I felt a slight sensation of the presence of God. I will tell you with great joy that it has blessed me each day since. (Well, there were a few days when it was gone, but that is a separate story.)

I now have many stories of how He has worked powerfully in my life. Most of them probably have the most meaning only to myself. I continue to devour the Bible readings daily and any Christian books that I can find the time to read.

I am now surrounded by a nourishing and wonderful church community here in Virginia. Meanwhile, I am also surrounded by many family members and friends who truly do not understand my change. I have tried to explain, but so far it has not made a dramatic impact on them. I don't know what He has in store for me. That has been the cry of my heart... that I will be able to fulfill what He has in mind for me, whatever it is. I am just so grateful.

I believe that my story is a testimony to the power of prayer. I sincerely believe that the prayers of my current church for the members of the community saved my life."

Jennifer in VA

p.s. We live in a moderately rural area. That radio station won't come in anymore. It stopped coming in about a month or two after I read John 1:1. The station manager said that they had not increased the signal strength at that time nor decreased it since. They suggested that, perhaps, some construction had helped the signal come in right at the time I needed it. I will never know for sure.
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You can share your story by sending it to FinishingWellStory@gmail.com.