mySTORY
Kevin’s Story (Father of three and a physical therapist)
BORN in 1974. Fatherless by age four. Alone, sad, scared. I grew up like many, in the midst of dysfunction and abuse–criticism without encouragement, yelling and blaming without resolving conflict, parents escaping with alcoholism. BROKEN, withdrawn, hopeless. “Whatever! Who cares!? I don’t need anyone!” Deep anger, hate, and rebellion ruled my self-reliant, self-centered, and defensive life. CRAVING acceptance, affirmation, and love; I longed for a life filled with authentic peace, joy, and hope. Searching and striving for that illusive life, I tried alcohol, drugs, sex, and independent accomplishment to prove myself and earn what I longed to receive. NOTHING WORKED. Nothing fulfilled, satisfied, or lasted. Once the highs wore off, reality sank in. And there I was again…feeling alone and worthless! UNTIL…I saw the heart of God. His love overwhelmed and wooed me. His words astounded me. I was captivated by the life of Jesus, and for the first time in my life I was satisfied and fulfilled to the core. Oh…There are BATTLES! Life is far from perfect. But I’m still standing! I know the love of God toward me. And I’m excited about the journey ahead! Maybe you can relate to this story. Maybe you’ve had disappointment in your life too. If you’d like to hear more about my story, or if you’d like to know how you can trust God with your life and your future, please let me know!
Candice’s Story (Mother of two and elementary school teacher)
BATTLE RAGING : Early in my life, I asked Jesus to be my Savior, but I didn’t understand my status as God’s daughter, part of His family. Instead, after high school, I went off to college with low self-esteem. Soon an eating disorder marked my life, and food suddenly became my “god.” This drama that was happening didn’t seem right, but Satan had such a strong grip on me, it didn’t seem like there was a way out. FREE, BUT TETHERED : I didn’t see a need to change, but my friends were trying to help me realize how destructive my behavior was. I was backing away from my relationship with God. Thankfully He still loved me. I was eventually willing to see a counselor to start getting help. The counselor helped me to see that there was hope for me to change. If I continued in “my path” it could have led to death from me being just “skin and bones.” I saw that Jesus was with me through all of this and that He had plans for me as His creation! God eventually healed me. The eating disorder was no longer a part of me, but it left me wounded during my adult life. I was blinded to the fact that I allowed a cloud of rejection to follow me wherever I went. FREEDOM! : Then I went to a church ladies’ retreat where I realized God had been pursuing me during all those years and trying to show me who I was in Christ. This time His love penetrated my heart and began to rain over me instead of the cloud that had been dripping with rejection. I pictured a cage that had surrounded me all those years. God showed me it was gone now. Those things didn’t have to hold me any longer. My eyes were changing to see myself like Jesus sees me and to see the plans He had for me from the beginning of creation (Psalm 139). I was so overwhelmed. I just cried and finally surrendered all of me to Him and enjoyed being in the loving arms of my Jesus. It was a great feeling to be free and to see a picture of that cage being lifted off of me. Wow! I was FREE! Satan still tries to throw his lies at me: “You’re worthless! You’re too quiet! See, they are rejecting you again.” BUT the lies don’t work because I know they are Satan’s lies. I counteract them with God’s promises from the Bible and remind myself I’m God’s child, bought by Jesus. My sins have been paid for by the blood that Jesus shed for me on the cross. I am free now, He loves me, and I serve Him as my master. You can have the same freedom and forgiveness that I have if you trust and believe that Jesus died for you too. He loves you!
Michele’s Story (Mother of four and part-time administrative assistant)
I serve a great God! “Once I was lost; now I am found.” I grew up in an upper-middle-class family, going to church on Sundays, outwardly having everything, but inwardly always longing for more. My search pulled me toward unhealthy relationships, thinking that the next boy would make the difference. It pulled me toward spiritual things: joining Job’s Daughters, reading my horoscopes, and exploring new age ideas; and it brought an over-emphasis on work and school, working multiple jobs and striving to maintain honor roll. Yet nothing satisfied; I felt emptier than ever. As I went off to college and looked at the world around me, I thought, “There must be more than this.” Thank God there is! In my longing for more, I picked up a book called You Can Make a Difference. For the first time, I heard the Good News that Jesus not only died for me, but He desires to LIVE in me. Not only does He love me enough to forgive me for all the ways I fall short of His perfection, and make a way for me to go to heaven, but He loves me enough to empower me to fulfill His purposes here on earth. Now I live a life walking in the love and purpose of Jesus Christ. The Good News is He has the same desire for you! Read about it in Jeremiah 29:11, John 3:16 and Romans 12:1-2. My journey has not been easy, but it has been real. Even my wrong turns God has redeemed. If you’re ready for forgiveness, transformation, and purpose, I invite you to join me on the journey of following after God and receiving His love!
Kari’s Story (A high school freshman)
I was sick of life. I was sick of the rules I thought defined God. I was a pastor’s kid. Christianity was forced on me my whole life. I go to a school where acting out your faith is discouraged, made fun of and definitely not cool. I didn’t want to be the odd one out; I didn’t want to live my life as this weird nerdy Christian girl. I didn’t imagine my life as an outcast. I wanted to be loved. By someone. I wanted people to want to be around me. A Christian doesn’t fit that criteria at my school. The desire to be loved as well as the desire to rebel overcame me. Rebel against what my parents were telling me to do. I was royalty but I wanted to be known as a commoner. I wanted to have this so called freedom. I wanted to throw away my morals. I remember the exact night, when I sat in my room wondering why I was following a God who didn’t care about what I wanted. Looking back I wonder how I even thought that. I made a distinct decision to forsake God and turn away from Him. From that moment I let other things rule my life. It was not that I got rid of God, it’s just that I let other things be my gods. I ran as if it could save me. I thrived on the compliments of other people. I lived my life as a lie to the people around me; my family, my church. I saw my life fall apart around me. Why did I believe that I was strong enough to control my life? I was depressed, rejected and hurt. But I still held out and turned to self-inflicted pain. I thought I could fill up my emptiness. That emptiness that could only be filled by God. Those scars on my wrists were a constant reminder about how ‘horrible’ my life was. I then discovered that God was there. Though I may have turned away from Him, He still loved me. And when I came back to God He did not turn away. No, He hadn’t rejected me the way I had rejected Him. He accepted me and loved me as I had never experienced before. Though I had gotten baptized before and considered myself a Christian before, I consider this to be the beginning of this insane climb with a God who loves me in a wild way. Just like any climb, you can fall, and it can hurt, but God is good and He will pick you up every single time.
Margaret’s Story (Mother of four and part-time nurse)
I grew up in a small town in south central Virginia. Church was dreadfully boring to me. During the service, I would tell my mom I was going to help in the nursery. Instead, I would take fifty-five cents from the Sunday school offering and purchase a drink and crackers from the neighboring gas station. Sitting on a wall that separated the gas station and the church, I thought there was a God and often wondered how to get to know Him. One summer I went to church camp. During vespers the final night, the counselors floated a candle-lit cross across a lake and sang those now-made-fun-of Christian camp songs. I would get so choked up; and, not wanting to be seen, I would slip out sobbing and hide in the woods until the program was over. I would appear after the event stating that I had left to go to the bathroom. I was unaware of my wounded, sinful heart. I didn’t realize God was pursuing me and wanting to bring me into a relationship with Him. After that summer, I found other things to dull the ache in my heart: boys, basketball, and bulimia.
Fast forward to my sophomore year in college. My three B’s were failing me. My relationship with my high school boyfriend ended, my basketball career hit rock bottom, and my eating disorder was completely out of control. I was getting desperate for help but too ashamed to say anything to anyone. One day after basketball practice, I was asking a teammate about a new person on our team. I was told that this player had been completely wild and had now changed her ways. I literally hunted this teammate down and wanted to know why and how she had turned her life around. I soon heard the gospel for the first time. I was ruined for anything else. I knew I needed what the gospel had to offer. My friend invited me to spend the summer with her family. I became a Christian the following summer in Miami, Florida.
That was twenty -seven years ago, and I still need the good news of Jesus every day of my life. I have experienced many blessings: my husband, four great kids, and some awesome friends. I have gone through difficult circumstances and a recent, prolonged period of darkness following the unexpected death of my mother. I am more convinced than ever that God’s sovereign hand is at work in all situations in my life. Sometimes I can see what He is doing, and sometimes I can’t. When I can’t see His hand at work, I am learning to trust that He is at work because He is a good God, He keeps all of His promises, and He will accomplish His complete work in me. Romans 8:28-29
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