I don’t know if I’m the only one, but I never really had the “one” moment that pointed me to God. You know, the one where everything changed, the heavens opened up, and everything was perfect.
I’m one of those weird in-betweeners who grew up going to church occasionally, in a family where God wasn’t talked about. The ones who fell away often, before eventually never coming back. And yet, today I am an active member in the church, the women’s ministry, and have researched and studied more than I ever expected to in my faith.
So how did I get from A to B? By God’s relentlessness and care for His sheep. Starting as a young child going with my family and moving into elementary and then middle school, God was laying a foundation. Learning the head knowledge even when the heart wasn’t ready by allowing me to learn through observation despite my motives of going for the food or the social interaction.
In high school I remember the time my heart was first touched, singing worship songs in a church gymnasium. My life was full of anxiety, stress from home, but singing about God who could free captives made me cry. Another foundation was laid here, but like I would time and time again, I walked away.
Like so many, my testimony is full of stalls and circles. Times that I followed God just to take two steps back before in His perfect love, He came for His lost sheep. Sometimes gently, like through a chance encounter, and sometimes in a life altering way like when He brought peace and a purpose out of my miscarriage.
Each time God drew me closer to Him He reminded me of who I was and built my faith up a little more. Today his steadfastness has meant that not only is my faith stronger than it ever has been, but I have an amazing support group who has not only helped me not wander, but pushed me to do things I never would have on my own to grow in my faith such as read the ENTIRE Bible.
So you see, my testimony isn’t one instance with God. It’s a thousand, a million. It’s every time He draws me closer, every time He comes after me to bring me back to His perfect peace. And I thank God every day that He thinks I am worth going after.
““What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.”
Matthew 18:12-14
Heather is a contributing writer for Shaken & Stirred. She is a believer, a wife, and a mother to a wonderful (and sometimes crazy) one-year-old. She enjoys reading, playing video games, and listening to podcasts. She can usually be taking care of the home and playing on the floor with her daughter.
Featured Photo by Usukhbayar Gankhuyag on Unsplash