my testimony....

Did you'all read Kim's blog?
In it she was talking about coming up with a theme for 2009.
I think that is a great idea and so I am asking the Lord to show me what that should be.
Will you prayerfully consider adopting a theme for the new year and then share it on your blog?
I am excited to see what the Lord will do with us bloggers....
In the meantime I have been "surfing" other christian blogs and found one in which she shared her testimony and I thought to myself: I've never really written my testimony down(except for FAITH-but that doesn't really count cuz it has too many restrictions in it).
So, I thought that I would share my testimony with you'all....maybe you'll share yours, too????

When I was 7 years old I lost my mother.
It was a confusing time for me.
I remember the "movements" around me during that time.....my dad showing up at school in the middle of the day, hearing a kid in my class say that he wished his mom would die so he could get out of school early, me wondering who's mom died?, the drive home which I remember everything being fuzzy and inaudible(looking back I realize I was in shock), sitting in Linda Kay's yard across the street wondering why all those people are coming over to our house?, seeing my sister Karen drive up and run into my dad's arms crying and I didn't know why, the funeral....
None of it seemed real to me.
I don't remember anyone sitting me down and explaining what happened to my mom and that she would never be able to come back.
During that time I just went through the motions....I experienced the tragedy but I didn't feel anything.
The next thing I really remember about that time was being in my bed looking out of my window and wishing I could see my mommy again all the while I was feeling like something was pushing against me, not in an uncomfortable way, but just enough that my breath was affected and I also remember the incredible peace that surrounded me.
This went on for some time....
Our lives went back to some sense of normalcy, I guess, we went to church every Sunday and I remember people saying to me that someday I would see my mommy again in heaven.
I didn't really understand the concept of heaven other than it was a place where my mommy was and I knew that I wanted to be there with her.
One particular Sunday the pastor was talking about that very thing and something about hell and something about salvation and something about sin, but all that I heard was that I could go to Heaven if I gave my heart and life to Jesus.
Being a very practical 7 year old who had an end goal in mind, I jumped at that opportunity!!!!!
I gave my heart and my life to Jesus and He became My Lord and Savior even though I thought it was for one reason, to see my mother again, He drew me to Himself through that horrible tragedy and showed me the need I had for Him.
I was 7 years old...what did I know about sin????( that came later)
He gave me hope where there was darkness.
He gave me love where there was despair.
He gave me faith where there was longing.
He gave everything to me where there was nothing.
He even showed me that He was there beside me all along.....while I was aching and longing to see my mother He was holding me...that was what I felt....God was hugging me.
Humble beginnings.....not necessarily the text-book story for coming to the Lord, but what I love about God is that He meets us where we are at the point of our need, and He shows His love for us, His plans that are good, He slips in some Hope, Truth, and asks for nothing in return save our devotion to Him and Him alone.
I have spent the last 35+ years(yikes!) doing just that.
I have not always devoted myself to just God, sometimes I devoted myself to...self.
That was a drag.
I've learned not to do that.
Sometimes I devoted myself to Church.....equally a drag.
He doesn't want our works...He wants our devotion.
He wants all of us; our hearts, our souls, our minds.
He wants relationship with us so He can speak to us and we can hear Him.
I am so thankful to God for saving me from myself and for showing me His more excellent way.
The sacrifice that He made for us....Jesus...says to me: I would rather die for you than ever live a day without you!
How can anyone escape that much love??????