My Testimony ~ Part 1

I have shared my testimony twice already since being here and tonight I will be sharing it again. The other day, I sent a copy of my testimony to Josh so that he could proofread it... I was kinda surprised when he said he didn't know it all. With that in mind, I decided that I would write out my testimony so that you could all know me better than you have in past.

The first time I remember someone becoming a Christian was when I was really young playing in the family room with Emily. Mom and Emily were talking and then Emily was praying and BAM, mom and Emily said that Emily was now a Christian. I remember thinking, "Oh, that's cool. I wanna be  a Christian too."

Sometime after this, I remember mom taking probably Sarah, Ben, Emily, Josh, (maybe) Grace, and me to a prayer thing in Portland. I didn't realize what it was all about. I remember some grandfather putting his hand on my head to which I responded to by moving. After this happened twice, I looked up to see him resting his hand above my head and this is when I realized that people were gathered in groups all around praying for people. I remember wanting to reach up and grab the grandfather's hand. "If you're blessing me, don't stop." I think that was my thought process.

Does God take your gifts and desire and turn them into spiritual gifts? I don't know, but I do remember one day listening to Patch the Pirate and hearing the song, Make Me a Servant like You. This is the first time I remember singing a song/prayer to God and meaning it sincerely. I wouldn't say I was saved when this happened but maybe that's just meat near the bones...


Despite these things though, by the time I was 8, I was known by close friends and relatives as a liar and a thief. After an occasion of lying or stealing (I can't remember) while we were on family vacation, I was sent to my room and told to wait for dad. When he came in, he sat down on my bed and this is what happened.
"Rachel," he said, "Your mom and I really love you and it hurts us when you lie to us and steal from us. When you lie to us, you lie to God. Your mom and I cannot help you. Your lies have built a wall blocking you from God, but he wants you." At this, he pulled up the sheet on my bed and separated us and started hitting it saying, "Rachel! Rachel! Where are you?"
I don't remember anything else from that conversation - Dad doesn't remember it at all. However, this conversation is one of the only ones that has stuck so vividly in my mind over the years. Isaiah 59:2 says that our sins have separated us from our God. I didn't know this verse till recently, but I'm so thankful that my parents read the Bible and then transcribed it, so to speak, to me - their visual daughter - so that I could understand more easily.

When I was 10 years old, my parents let me join a soccer team with my friend, Kelsey. During this time I realized a couple of things:
1. not everyone was home-schooled
2. not everyone had a mom and dad who weren't divorced
3. not everyone went to church
4. people my age said bad words
5. not everyone knew who Jesus was
6. I did not know if Jesus would save me

I was really scared - I knew I would die and I didn't think I was going to heaven. I knew that the Bible said do not steal and do not lie and I knew I was known for these things. I was guilty. I knew that Jesus had died on a cross to save me, but I didn't really believe he would. Finally, after probably 3-5 nights of crying myself to sleep asking God to save me, I went downstairs and talked to my dad.
I saw dad, walked over, and started crying. I told dad everything. He gave me a hug and spoke comfort and confidence to me. He was so confident that God would do what He said He would do. He must have told me, "Rachel, if you ask Jesus to save you, He will. He says He will and He does not lie." That night, Dad prayed and I believed.

That was a problem for me later in life. I think Satan used it to make me think I wasn't saved because of the verse that says, "if we confess with our mouths..." So later I did confess with my own mouth so that I would be able to confront it easier.

Thanks, Megan Joy, for sending me the photos. :)