I accepted Christ when I was seven years old and was baptized when I was nine. My dad was a seminary professor and pastor, and we went to church every Sunday. Growing up, there was never a point where I questioned God’s existence or involvement in my life because my parents were intentional in incorporating biblical truths into our lives every day.
As I moved into adolescence, there came a point where I had to make my faith my own. For my entire childhood, I had grown in my faith and basic understanding of the gospel largely because I never considered any other options. I realized that I needed to be able to defend what I believed, and I needed to have a better answer for it than “My parents told me so.” Eventually, I grew to understand that I was not saved because I had great parents who trained me. I was not saved because of anything that I had done. My salvation was only given to me because of the grace and love of God.
This is my story. Honestly, I used to be kind of discouraged by it. When I would hear other people share their testimonies, I felt like mine didn’t compare. My story just seemed so boring. I didn’t have some epic testimony about how I was at rock bottom and found Jesus. I was a little seven-year-old who didn’t have it all figured out. I understood just enough to know that I wanted my life to follow Jesus.
Having what I thought to be a “boring” testimony often made me feel like I didn’t have a story worth sharing. Growing up, I backed down from several opportunities to share my story because I couldn’t see how God could use it. But there came a point where God showed me the value of my story. He helped me understand that even though my story may seem “boring” on the surface, it is actually the greatest story that I will ever have to tell.
I came to realize the most amazing part of my story is that because I found Christ at such a young age, He was walking with me through every stage of life. I believe that there were temptations and dangers along the way that the Holy Spirit was protecting me from. Growing up was not always easy or perfect, but I was very blessed – even in the rough parts. I am sure I won’t be able to comprehend the full picture of how God’s hand was in my life while I’m on this side of Heaven.
I have also realized that part of why God has given me a heart for Children’s Ministry is because I became a Christian as a child myself. A lot of the kids in my ministry are right around the same age that I was when I made the decision to follow Jesus. My testimony has really given me a perspective that sees every child as more than just a student at church. They are each a potential brother or sister in Christ. I am living proof that the Holy Spirit who speaks to the hearts of adults is the same One who speaks to the hearts of children. Even though they are young, they are still capable of making big decisions for God.
My story is amazing because it’s mine. Your story is amazing because it’s yours. No matter what our stories of how we came to know Christ are, each one is a beautiful, amazing miracle worth sharing. If your story is similar to mine, that’s great. If your story is completely different from mine, that’s great, too! Just as we are all uniquely created, we all have unique stories. Don’t take the story of your salvation for granted. Share it with anyone you can. Tell others about the best gift you’ve ever been given: your eternal salvation and relationship with your Heavenly Father.
Maybe you don’t have a salvation story yet. If you feel like the Holy Spirit is speaking to you about becoming a Christian, I want to encourage you to talk to someone about that. Ask someone what their story is. When we share our testimonies with one another, God can and will use our conversations to bring us closer to Him.
Happily Ever Katie 