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Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Tell Me Your Story Bloggy Carnival



Mamavice





DidiLyn over at Meyers on the Hood is hosting a truly unique Bloggy Carnival this week called “Tell Me Your Story.” All I have to do is tell MY story...should be easy enough, right?



I grew up in a Christian home. We were in church every time the doors were opened. The church I grew up in was very rules-oriented, and the rules made life difficult. I also attended the school run by the church.




I learned a lot about God while in this church. I learned that Jesus had died for my sins. I learned that all I had to do was to ask Him to come live inside of me. I knew all of this from an early age. In my child's mind, I didn't want to do that yet. I had a lot of time. I was scared that if I did ask Jesus into my life, I wouldn't have any more fun. And fun was much more important to me than was praying or having God in my life.




During this time frame, a new Christian radio station came on the air. There were lots of boring preachers on there, and lots of great music. I loved listening to the music. There was also a time on Saturday mornings set aside for children's programing. I LOVED listening to the stories. The Lone Ranger. Fibber McGee and Molly. The Green Hornet. The Children's Bible Hour. I loved them all. I could be transported out of my life in my imagination and live these great stories.




I listened to the children's stories for a lot of years, and loved every single week that I had the chance to listen. Every single week, there were great teachings...stories and object lessons reinforcing things I had already learned in church, Sunday School, school and Vacation Bible School. Every week, Uncle Charlie on The Children's Bible Hour invited children to pray with him. Every week I justified to myself why I didn't need to pray just yet.




The year I turned 11 was a difficult one for our family. We were living on the dairy farm and working 15 to 18 hour days. My mom was dealing with health issues. My brothers and I were dealing with some not-so-nice children in school. I was become the very introspective and shy child I remained the rest of the way through the rest of my school years. I really started thinking about what it would mean if I were to die...what would happen to me after dying. I knew that Jesus had died so I wouldn't have to be punished for my sins.





Finally, in September, while listening to Uncle Charlie yet again, I decided that it was time. I wanted to have some kind of security in my life, and this was the only way I could think of making my ultimate future secure. I prayed along with Uncle Charlie on September 11, 1980, and asked Jesus to come live in my life.




I really wish that praying the prayer changed my life completely. I don't have one of those testimonies, where asking Jesus into my life completely transformed me. I had already been living a good life, attending church, and trying to please my parents. I continued down that same road. I didn't have any great teaching. I still attended church. I graduated from our church's school. I went to a Bible school. I took notes on sermons. Then, I applied for Bible College.





I loved college. I was not nearly as sheltered. I was learning. I was getting to know this God to whom I had committed my life. One of the best things I started learning in Bible College was that I was LOVED. That God truly loved me. And that He wanted me to KNOWN that love.




And today, 28 years after accepting that gift of LOVE that He gave me, I still feel like I am only just now STARTING to know a little about His love for me.





And that, my friends, is MY story. To read more stories, go see DidiLyn!





4 comments:

Jenn @ Casa de Castro said...

I enjoyed reading about your journey. God is so good and so faithful to continue wooing us until we are ready to fully embrace His love. What a gift!

Blessings to you!

Diane Meyer said...

I can't tell you how moving it is to read this. Your testimony is a blessing to me as I pray it will be to others who happen along. Yay for Uncle Charley! God is good!

Christa said...

My husband got saved after listening to Uncle Charlie, too! I've actually never heard him, but am so thankful for the way he was used of God in the life of my husband when he was just six! :)

KC said...

What a wonderful story.. Thank you for sharing it with us..
We love CBH here in our house.. I remember listing to it every week also.. and Now every morning I get my children breakfast and then turn on my computer go to CBH and while eating breakfast the kids and I listen to Uncle Charlie doing the keys for kids. I love that I can do it on the internet now and not have to have to sit by the radio at a certin time.. I love that no matter what time we are eating in the morning it is just a click away.
Thank you for sharing your story with us.