What’s the best day of your life? Love to read your comments below.
I remember that day so clearly, as if it were yesterday. No, I’m actually not referring to my wedding day (I’ll tell that story in another post). I’m referring to a day that humbled me, scared me and brought me to my knees. I’ve never been the same. Truth be told, over 20 years have passed since that life-changing day. Please allow me to start at the beginning: I was “saved” when I was 3 ½ years old. At least I prayed a prayer and my mom said it took. I repeated this prayer whenever a preacher came through town and scared me with word pictures of Hell, Fire and Brimstone; you know the “fire insurance” prayer. No one would dispute that I was a “good Christian”. I grew up in a Christian home, attended a Christian school all 13 years; we were in church at least 3 times a week. Gosh, I was practically born in church: our pastor introduced and then married my parents.
24 years later, he performed my own wedding ceremony.
My freshman year at Bible College, someone I greatly respected made me question my salvation and challenged me to read the book of I John, write out the characteristics of a Christian and ask myself if I demonstrated those qualities more often than not. This person was not insinuating that Christian’s are perfect, rather, that fruit is proof of a tree that had been planted. Everyone knows that’s what trees do, they bear fruit. “You shall know them by their fruit”. I’ll never forget I was all alone in a classroom on a Friday night completing this voluntary homework assignment I’d been given. As I answered 15 questions I came up with from the reading, I had to reply “no” to 14 of them. I subconsciously believed that of course God would let me into Heaven after all the good things I had done for Him. With my head, I knew this truth: “for by grace ye are saved through faith, not of good works, lest any man should boast.”
When the truth pierced my heart that all my good works were not good enough and that I was actually heading to Hell at that very moment, I about wet myself in that classroom chair. I was filled with a fear that paled compared to the fear any preacher’s words had ever made me feel. I feared a righteous holy God.
In that moment, God gave me a vision; I’ll do my best to describe the movie I saw playing in my mind’s eye. I saw myself dangling over the pit of Hell, the flames ready to engulf me at any moment, I was being held back by a thread like a piece of dental floss. I realized I was completely powerless to save myself and the only thing I could do was look up. I saw Who was holding the other end of the dental floss. I immediately thought of the verse, “Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth”. I was powerless to save myself, He was my only hope.
I looked up into those kind loving eyes and watched as He gently reached down, scooped me up, placed me in His hand and I heard the words of Jesus: “No man can pluck you out of my Father’s hand”. I never doubted from that day forward whether I was safe, Who I belong to or where I am going when I die. I was humbled of all my self-righteousness, I was brought to my knees in that moment when Love conquered fear, it was the power of the Cross, the blood of Jesus that cleansed me from my sin. I can’t tell you how good it felt to have those religious chains of bondage broken off my hands and feet. It is a weighty thing to try to be good all the time, feeling guilty because you secretly know you don’t measure up and never can. I constantly beat myself up condemning myself with words I hoped would produce change, but it just produced more of what I didn’t want, creating more bondage and self-hate.
But now I felt peaceful, safe and secure in my Father’s hands, so loved and free, free to be myself and free to love others. It was the day that changed my life forever. Have you met Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Have you bowed your knee, believed in your heart and confessed Him with your mouth? He loves you and He’s waiting for you to turn to Him as the only answer, your only hope of salvation. He longs to have a personal relationship with you freeing you from guilt and fear replacing it with Love, Peace and the security of a home in Heaven with Him for all eternity.
Loving Jesus and Loving people is all that really matters!!
I have learned it’s not about rules and religion, but about a relationship of love and friendship that has transformed me and given me a love for others, even those who hurt me.
I have found peace and joy and freedom through my trials and pain.
Loving Jesus and Loving people is all that really matters!!
I would love to hear from you if I can help you find Him or encourage you in your own journey or welcome you to the Family of God.
I just fell in love with you and our Jesus all over again! May the peace of God REIGN in your life and that of your family. I think we have been FB friends for a long time but I feel like I just met you. Hugs….Michelle, Beloved Child of the King 🙂
Girlfriend, you are so encouraging, you have no idea what your words mean to me, thank you and God bless you!
Our God is an awesome God! His grace is astounding, isn’t it? We could never, ever earn his love, yet he extends it.
A beautiful, beautiful thing.
Amen, Mindy, that’s right! Thanks for reading and for your encouragement!!
BTW, WHAT’S YOUR BLOG?
Yes, Shari, We did connect through DJC 🙂
I can relate to both testimonies from Shannon and Shari. I was wiping tears through both of your testimonies. I was miraculously saved over 7 years ago. I am in a wonderful bible believing church, but i just wasnt doing enough for God. One week after celebrating my seven years of being saved, my life changed dramatically. I found out I needed major emergency surgery and I had stage 4 colon/liver cancer. I am a single homeschooling mom and a business owner. I was given 9-12 months to live. It has now been almost 7 months since my diagnosis. I am on a complete alternative therapy and a diet without sugar, flour and red meat. I don’t believe I am cancer free yet, but I KNOW I will be soon. I am fully trusting God for complete healing. I have been blessed so much by this trial. It has changed me so much for the better. I have never felt so safe and at peace as I do now. I have so much more desire to give so much more to the Lord. I am so glad I let go of the control that I didn’t have anyway and let Jesus fully have control. God is so good!! Thank you for this blog, Shari! 🙂
Wow, Karla, you blessed my socks off with your testimony of faith. I want to have that kind of faith and let go of the control I don’t have anyway. very well said. You are on the right path, my friend. God bless you!! Did we connect through DJC?
dear shari, it’s been a little over a year since my old man(dad) died. he was everything to me. but what i remember most about my dad was the special time we had together. it was always hard to be one to one with him when i had an older sister and brother and not to mention a younger brother. but dad found a way to be one on one with all of us. kathi had him for all the new changes (women’s movement in the 60’s and fashion clothes), my brother jim had him for sports, and tom the baby, had him for singing. my part was church. he was the one who took me to church not just sunday but everyday for two years (first grade and second grade). i don’t know why i was chosen for church, but i was the one. now everyday i go to church i think of my dad. he was an usher who seated people and collected the money. he prayed,knelt,and stand for the service. he always told me that there are many roads to jesus just keep pushing ahead each day and remember that when you seem alone i’ll be there somehow, someway.i don’t think he has broke his promise to me ( my dad ) because i see his face in my kids and in every church there’s dad ushering. that’s how i get close to GOD. your friend john doyle
John, that is so awesome, thank you for sharing your story. You are blessed, I’m glad you’re my friend. K.I.T. (just learned that one and had to use it so I feel like I’m keeping in touch with the cyberworld we live in)
Hi Shari! What a wonderful post! It is so hard to grasp sometimes how much our Jesus loves us and how when he died……it was for US. FOR ME. for YOU. for EVERY MAN, WOMAN and CHILD. It was for us to be alive. It was for us to live freely. it was for us to be healed. emotionally, spiritually and physically. it was through death that we got to have life. if we grab it. but only if we grab it!
wow…your post just made me smile. sometimes i need to be reminded of how big of a gift it is. i take it for granted a lot.
i grew up in a christian home, sunday school, VBS, all that. I went to a camp at the age of 10 and met Jesus for real there. from then on, i have had this unshakable truth that Jesus lives in me and is my total rescue, my total hope. i have lived life pretty normally declaring Jesus as my savior (but not loudly enough) and then I was struck by a horrible form of arthritis after the birth of my 2nd boy. my life. was.over.
all i wanted was to an active, vibrant, happy mom to my two sweet little wonder boys. but it was snuffed away from me as i became more and more filled with physical pain. i choose to pray and hope and believe. that HE would rescue me. although i knew he would as long as I BELIEVED he would, the devil sent thoughts into my head that maybe, just maybe HE wouldn’t heal me. God met me in so many ways through the journey. on one March morning he showed up right in Psalm 18 talking directly to me, the verses WERE ME! At the end of that chapter he promised me victory. And from then on, the doubt had no hold. The devil had no say. It took about 9 months of trust, belief and I was set free. fully HEALED!!!! I’m 10 months out from my third boy and a few years out from the healing and in full health, not a sign of a return of that arthritis.
Although I have always known how much I needed a savior, it didn’t fully get it until I was in deep despair. Cory Ten Boom said something to the effect of “you don’t know Jesus is ALL you need, until Jesus is ALL YOU HAVE.” that’s where I was. i love that God used such painful circumstances to show me not only that he LOVES me but that he desires to heal us. as long as we first ask, then BELIEVE.
thanks for sharing. and for allowing me to share.
Dear Shannon,
Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful testimony. What a miracle! God met you where you were and showed up and showed off to heal your spirit and physical body for HIS glory! AMEN! And He gave you 3 beautiful boys, you are so blessed!!
Love, Shari