Life Changing Jesus

After I said the Prayer of Salvation and things sunk in, I had a sense of newness. I was part of something bigger than myself. I was part of a vast group of people; I was a Christian, and those fish emblems that used to bug me on cars, now didn't bother me at all, lol. I believed in Jesus!

That was a monumental step for me. Before this, I had some negative opinions about Christians. I didn't understand how you could believe in someone you couldn't see, and religion generally was not appealing to me. Mostly, I didn't know any Christians who inspired or interested me. I hadn't heard of any great things happening to people when they became Christians. It seemed like they went and listened to a message on Sunday, lived a boring life, and judged those that weren't living like them.

Things had changed, though, now. It felt good to be a part of something, to go to church and hear about Jesus. I was very curious about Him. He was more of an addition to my life at the time rather than experiencing a significant turnaround, but He is patient, and we all go through this journey differently. I could talk to Him, and while I didn't know it then, I could also listen for that still, small voice to talk back; I didn't feel alone anymore. I always had someone with me; even if I couldn't see Him, I knew He was there, and that feeling was so reassuring.

My life started rapidly changing when I got baptized in the Holy Spirit. I began to read my Bible; and learned how to pray, not that there is a right way, but seeing others do it that already had a deep connection to God was very helpful. I made a friend at the membership luncheon. I started to attend a small group and built additional friendships there. We were building one another up, and I was learning and being discipled into life as a believer. I threw myself into this new life, and I loved every minute of it! Church was powerful! The small group and the relationships there were terrific. I also attended the young adult church services, and we would get together for various functions.

These experiences and relationships were building me up on the inside. I was growing in confidence in who I was and, more importantly, who's I was, God's beloved daughter. I was being poured into by those in my life, and as I grew and became closer to God, I could also pour into them. Quick note: Pouring into is a Christian term derived from the belief that we are all vessels that can be filled. Since the Bible is a living book, there is life in it. We are also now joined to Jesus, who is life Himself. When you partake of the Bible, Pray, and Worship, you get fed and filled up, and when you fellowship with those full of life, they pour that life into you. It's supposed to be a filling up and pouring out life we live as Christians, giving and receiving.

I saw restoration in my family. I was a bit of a black sheep, causing trouble and being rebellious. I was a broken person due to some things that happened in my childhood, and I was living the best I could with all that undealt stuff still in my heart. But saying yes to Jesus and pursuing Him, reading my Bible, Praying, Worshipping, and being in relationship with other Christians caused me to change so much that I was now an emotionally stable, kind, gentle person, for the most part. I'm still in process and not perfect by any means, but my life is nothing like it was before, and I still have so much transformation to look forward to!

There are also breadcrumbs from God, as I call them, where God leads you into the things He has for you. For instance, you may feel life on what someone says, as in, it resonates with you, or you feel your heart get excited about what they are saying or something you see, and then you follow it, pray into it, and see if this is something God is leading you to. It has been such a fun journey! Has it been free of pain or issues? Absolutely not. But Jesus has been my anchor through it all!

When you are in relationship with Jesus, you can find out who you really are, who you were created to be, and your purpose in life. You share your life experiences with others and how God has impacted your life, and in doing so, you can impact that person's life. I once watched an interview with Tom Brady long ago, and he said something to the effect that "there has got to be more to life than this." He was right. He felt that longing inside that could not be answered with Fame, Fortune, or Greatness; it can only be answered through Jesus. We are all wired for an eternal connection with our Creator, and we will not be fully fulfilled until that connection is restored; Jesus restores that connection.

I lived so much of my life existing, not impacting the people's lives around me in a now way or an eternal way. But, when you know God, you can literally smile at a person from your heart, which comes from the spirit rather than the flesh now, and that smile can change someone. It's true; there can now be life in the small and big things we do!

Living life with Jesus is living from a different culture, a different Kingdom, in oneness with Him. It's a foundation from which to live, do life, and hold beliefs. Loving people, seeing transformation in their lives, families restored, and people filled with hope and purpose again, nothing the world can offer compares to living life with Jesus!

You can read about my Salvation Testimony or my Holy Spirit Baptism Testimony if you would like.