My Story Is Just a Little Different

Last year I was at a church VBS where the teens had been prepped to share their testimonies. One by one girls got up and tearfully talked about all the things they had done in their young lives, but then someone invited them to church, and Jesus changed their lives. Then they shared how great life was now that they knew Jesus.

Then the VBS Director asked me to share my testimony with the kids. This doesn't happen very often. And honestly, my story was very different than the stories told before.

You see, I was a pretty good kid. I hadn't done drugs or any of the other things that often creep into testimonies. Then one day my pastor's daughter, Joy, told me I couldn't take communion if I wasn't saved. I think I took it anyway. But then my Granddad asked Jesus into his life and I saw a change.

As best as I remember, I was laying in the roll away bed at my grandparents when I began to feel strongly that I needed to ask Jesus into my life. It became very obvious to me that I had done things that displeased God, called sin. I knew the penalty of sin was death from a verse I had read in the Bible. I had also heard from another verse that if I asked Jesus to forgive me and come into my life, He would. So, I asked Jesus to come into my life. There were no people there. No one knew, it was just me and God.

Most people share how much better life gets when they ask Jesus into their lives. My story is different.You see, a week before I was suppose to be be baptized, my dad went camping. He never came home. He passed away that weekend. (I wasn't that detailed with the kids, I just told them that my dad died shortly after I asked Jesus into my life.) You see, when I asked Jesus to come into my life in a lot of ways my life got worse.

But, it also got better. You see, although the pain from my dad passing away was very real and hurt, a lot. Yet, in some way, I knew that even in my pain God still cared for me and loved me. He really did help me get through that time. Over the years, God has also made it very clear that He is the Everlasting Father who will never leave me.

My story was different from the youth that day, and that's okay. We all have different stories. The truth is God has given us all a unique story so that we can share with others. My story may relate with some people, and yours may relate with others. The important thing is that we share.