In my online class we had a discussion about perceptions we give other people, and oddly enough segues beautifully into a testimony about when I first got saved which I will now share with you.
Somehow the conversation veered toward per pressure and how people see you and what we do in order to impress others, and how are our fear holds us back, we are supposed to. Wait for it this is going to be good.
I got saved my sophomore year of high school. This story takes place after I was already saved. Some of you may know I intended Mariner High School (Go Tritons!) Anyways in the middle of the courtyard there was a small group of people gathered around the belltower holding hands and praying each morning.
Shortly after I got saved the Lord kept telling me to go pray with Them. Most of your Christians so some of you might think that’s no big deal, but in my world it was huge! I was a new Christian and these people got ridiculed each day. I would hear my friends Rippons on them each morning. Some people would throw things at them, many would hurl insults there was even a gentleman who would walk up and growl for no reason don’t ask me why. Going up to that group would be the equivalent of social suicide, especially in my circle of friends. For one solitary week I heard God saying go, and I kept refusing to obey.
The last day of the week I will never forget this as long as I live. The Holy Spirit came upon me so strong my entire body would not stop shaking. It was almost as if a living flame invoked my body pushing me towards that circle, and I was still adamant not to go, but I could deny it no longer.
I remember asking several of my friends to go up there with me each one saying “absolutely no.” “Are you kidding me I’m not going up there with those freaks!” “Dee Dee if you want to go so badly go yourself,” so I did.
They were already deep in prayer and I remember grabbing one of their hands and joining the circle. Unbeknownst to me at the time one of the hands I grabbed was Michaels. How incredible was the moment I met my husband was in a prayer circle that God was pushing me towards. I remember shaking, crying, and praying.
When the bell rang everybody introduce themselves to me. Michael and I had our lockers right next to each other so we walked all the way there establishing a relationship that would last for the next 17 years and beyond. The next day at school all of my so-called friends never wanted to have anything to do with me again, and I became the subject of cruel jokes and ridicule. For the next three months I was constantly getting made fun of, but during that time I was getting ever closer to God.
I don’t remember what it was but I’ll never forget this moment. I was in Mr. Stackhouse’s class. He was my history teacher, and he only had one leg sometimes he would take it off and pass it around class, he was very cool. We had some free time and people were just doing whatever, there was also a movie going on and the lights were dimed low.
I decided I just wanted to read my Bible so I went behind his desk because his computer light was the perfect glow in order for me to see the pages clearly. It wasn’t long before the class figured out what I was doing, and pretty soon the entire class was making fun of me. And the funny thing is when this finally dawned on me it didn’t bother me in the slightest. Nothing was going to stop me from doing what God wanted me to do. Mr. Stackhouse bless his little heart told class to leave me alone and let that poor girl read her Bible. He was a good old Baptist teacher .
As I did this assignment in my online class I explain this in one of my discussion post. Not only was I able to bring God into my assignment, but it also touched my teacher’s heart as well. The take home note here is there are going to be many times that God is going to have you do something that you don’t want to do. It’s gonna be uncomfortable, it’s gonna be scary, it’s going to be unfamiliar, but when God speaks we need to listen. When God asked us to do something we need to not hesitate.
Can you imagine if I completely refused on that day? I never would’ve met my husband. I never would’ve met Nathan Goss, or Vanessa Cash , or Nick. These were people that became really good friends in high school. They kept me out of trouble, we’re there for me when I needed them. I practically lived at Nates house for a long time. His dad was the pastor at Faith Assembly and still is, and they would take me to church with them all time. I practically lived at faith assembly lol. It was those times I spent in that household that I’ve learned what a real family was supposed to act like. When I was around these people it felt like I could breathe and before it almost felt like I was suffocating.
God knew what I needed back then. He knew I needed these people in my life, you know how my life would go if I didn’t. Thank goodness I Listened, and thank goodness God never once gave up on me.
If God is telling you to do something (not to rip a slogan from Nike but seriously) just do it, and trust me don’t hesitate he knows what’s best for you. Better than you do. Let go and let God lead your life and everything else will fall into place.
This is been a service announcement by your local Kiwi, everybody have a blessed day I got to say Hip Hip Horray!
