It's difficult for me to even put into words the experience I shared with my husband this past Sunday, January 20, 2013. Together we outwardly shared an already inward change with our church family. Together we took one important step in being obedient to the Lord and doing the right thing for our family. Together. That was the best part. We did this together.
Not even a full year ago my husband and I visited this church on a whim. Church shopping was what we called it. Little did I know what the Lord was going to do to our hearts. Through this church we have met some of the most amazing Godly people who have embraced us and have truly had a hand in changing our family.
That very first day as we sat through the service, moved to tears by the music, we filled out a visitors card, left the church and decided we'd be back to try it again. We loved the music and the message but at that point we didn’t know what our future held, the plans God had already laid for us. We had no idea how our lives were about to be changed. From the visitor card I received a phone call asking me how we liked the service, if we'd be back? At that time, I wasn’t ready to commit to anything. I constantly procrastinated and made up excuses why I couldn’t talk or wasn’t interested or ready. Jacquie didn’t give up. She kept calling and kept trying to get through to me. As the phone rang one day while I was in the car I saw it was the church number again and I was ready, so ready to tell her to please "just leave me alone".
I answered and in an instant my heart changed. We talked for 2 hours about life, family, faith, my past, my husband, my daughter, everything. I made a commitment to meet with her the following Wednesday so she could answer my questions and questions I certainly had. I made a list, a long list and that Wednesday she answered every single one. That Wednesday I was saved. I accepted Jesus into my heart, I confessed that I was a sinner and could only be saved by accepting that Jesus died on the cross for me and my sins.
That Wednesday, July 11, 2012 was the start of this beautiful transformation in our lives.
We began a discipleship program to learn about Christianity and so I could be re-taught things that I'd learned incorrectly before. Then, in September, my husband was saved. He started discipleship with one of the pastors and we began this journey together. We learned and grew as husband and wife, as parents, as Christians. We made changes to our lives to remove the sinful and learned how to live a more Christ-like life. We made mistakes and still leaned toward sin but we prayed to do better and confessed our sins to Jesus. We made conscious decisions to try harder to be better for Him, our family and ourselves.
This Sunday was the culmination of all those changes, prayers and discipleship lessons. This Sunday we finally made the outward profession of our inward change. We were baptized!
I have so many details I want to share about our experience. Check back tomorrow for the rest!
