June 28, 2009: Buried with Christ and raised to new life!
“Before I came to know the love and grace of Jesus, I did not have the strength and passion that I stand here before you with today. I grew up as a witness to the brokenness of the world and can testify to the darkness of it’s disease, violence and disappointment. I was a weak, sensitive and desperate person who sought love and affection from men and relationship.
The suffering of my life left me heartbroken and afraid and I found myself crumpled on the side of a road. The Lord sent people to care for me then, the Hamade family, who picked me up off the ground and welcomed me into their home. With them I experienced the grace and compassion of the body of Christ. Though I was both hesitant and frustrated, the Hamades were gentle and patient with my spiritual growth and I soon invited Jesus into my life. They walked alongside me through many painful months with encouragement and support. I was devastated by the life I had run from and stopped eating and sleeping. The Hamades committed to me in prayer and asked God to bring healing. They became family to me in a time of isolation. God brought the healing we had cried out for and with that taught me forgiveness and put a desire for reconciliation on my heart. I felt God call me home, to my own family where I belonged, and the Hamades loved me through this transition. I continue to maintain a close relationship with each of them and love them dearly as brothers and sisters in Christ. Karen and Art have become spiritual parents to me and Jenine my godly sister. I am so thankful for their wisdom and mentorship. God has blessed me through them, and I hope to bless others in this same way.
God’s love and grace is beautiful and unconditional. It is pure and fulfilling. In Him I have been washed clean, made beautiful and filled with the Spirit. I feel whole in my relationship with Christ and free from the weight of my shame and guilt. I am a new creation and I pray always that the Lord will continue to work in me and that I will grow as a godly woman. God has given me a heart of forgiveness and compassion and I hope to be a blessing to others by sharing these gifts with them. My fear and sadness have been replaced by joy and peace. Though my life has not been made perfect and I continue to face hardship, I draw close to the Lord in my pain. I am comforted by Him and my suffering exists to teach me appreciation for the sacrifice and hope to be risen to new life. Today I stand firm upon the truth and promises of the Lord and proclaim that I see Him and hear Him not despite my suffering but in the midst of it. It is not Christ who suffers alongside me, but I with Him and in that I want to publically give my life and trust to Christ.”
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