I’ve thought about what to write for this first article, and I feel the best way to introduce myself to you and this platform is by sharing my story. As a Christian, my most important story is my testimony.
I grew up in church. My uncle was a Baptist pastor, and my family and I were members of and were heavily involved in the church where he preached. My mother ran the “Mother’s Morning Out” program and nursery, so the church was my second home. I vividly remember telling my mother that I wanted to ask Jesus into my heart and her rushing to call my uncle to come over. Of course, he did come to our house, and we sat down in the living room while he talked to me and asked me a series of questions to be sure I understood what salvation meant. At the tender age of seven, I prayed and asked Jesus to be my Savior, and I was baptized a few weeks later.
When I was eight years old, we moved away from my aunt and uncle and our church home and went about an hour north to Gainesville, Georgia, for my father’s new job. My parents quickly found us a new church, and while we stayed active, it never felt like “home” to me. By my middle school years, friend groups and cliques had been clearly established, and I was left feeling like I was on the outside in my church youth group. I went to a different school than the other youth, and that feeling of not fitting in led me to start withdrawing from church.
As I look back on that time, while it was a trying time, it was also one of the best things that could have happened. While I distanced myself from church, I learned to draw closer to God. During this time, I really began to read my Bible, not just to check the box of daily scripture reading, but to read God’s Word as a way of deepening my relationship with Him.
Of course, I also understood the importance of being a part of a church family, and by high school, I started attending church with my best friend. It wasn’t an easy decision to attend and join a church my family wasn’t a part of, but thankfully, my parents were supportive. Through that church, its leadership, and, of course, God’s prompting, I learned the value of volunteering and serving in ministry. I began helping in Vacation Bible School, teaching children’s Sunday school, helping to keep the nursery, going on short-term foreign mission trips, and eventually leading teams on short-term foreign mission trips, which then led to going on longer (3 months at a time) solo mission trips. It was on my first mission trip to Rock River, Jamaica, as I was walking down the mountain to go to that evening’s revival service, that I audibly heard God tell me, “You can do this. This is what I have for you.” At the time, I thought God was calling me to a life of full-time foreign missions. I still feel like that may be in my future.
Since then, I’ve married, moved to coastal Georgia, had three children, and gone down two different career paths. My heart for missions remains strong. And, while I have not been able to return to the foreign mission field since my oldest child was born, God continues to provide opportunities for me to share His love and forgiveness with others. I am still involved in children’s ministries and teaching, and now I’ve been given the chance to share with all of you through this online platform.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and get to know me a little bit better. I’m excited to begin this journey with you, and my prayer is that God will use me for His glory in each article I write.