Naomi’s Testimony |
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 I grew up in a Christian home with my dad as a pastor, my mom as a stay - at - home mom, and 9 brothers and sisters. Growing up, I was the kind of competitive, proud child who did everything she could to be the best and be able to brag about it. Well, that didn’t get me anywhere good, but that’s the way I was until my oldest sister (who was about 21 or 22 at the time) started babysitting two boys around my age and brought me with her five days a week. After going with her for about a year, when I was around 7 years old, I arrived one day and both boys were there and they told me how one of them had just gotten save a few days before, and then the oldest boy asked me straight out if I wanted to get saved also. I had heard that word my whole life, but I still wasn’t exactly sure what it meant so the oldest boy explained it to me. He told of how Jesus had come to earth to live a short life of 33 years before he was betrayed, mocked, beaten and then torturously hung on a cross to DIE in my place. I should have been on that cross. I should have been the one betrayed, mocked and beaten, but Jesus took all that and the guilt of all my sin and he paid the price for me. After I heard that, I still wasn’t completely understanding it, but i knew enough, so I crawled under a little rocking chair and repented of my sin and asked Jesus to be my Saviour. As I grew up, to many people it seemed as if I was a strong Christian girl, but that was just on the surface. Sure I was truly saved and all, but my heart wasn’t truly longing to go with God and Him alone. Recently, for about 6 or more months, I hated God. Hated the name, the thought, and just the idea of God. Certain events had happened in my life that just made me implode with bitterness against God and people in general. My hatred toward God increased to become so powerful that it scared me, a lot. Even though my conscience, would pierce me at times about how I was acting, I’d just shove it away and keep rebelling and hating. But then, this summer, I went to a Christian camp, and my counselor (who had also grown up as a pastor’s kid) started working on me. She kept showing me things in the Bible that showed how amazing God is and how much of a relational God he is. She kept telling me that I was rebelling and not only hurting myself but also others with my actions, attitude, and words. My counselor kept praying for me and showing me the Bible and explaining to me what it’s like to have more than just a do’s and don’ts relationship with Jesus. She used the Bible to help me to see just how sweet it really can be to walk and talk with him every moment of my life. After a couple days of this, I merely shut her off and ignored all the messages that were being preached, but God wasn’t done with me. He kept tearing down the wall I’d put, and finally (on the last night of camp) he broke me and with my counselor I cried out to Him and He brought me back to Himself. Jesus has been blessing me ever since and has given me the true “peace that passes all understanding”. Do you know that peace? |
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