Nancy's Testimony

My husband, Jim, and I have 3 grown children, two of whom are married, and one grandson who is 10 months old. Jim has been the pastor here for about 30 years. This testimony follows my path to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

As a small child my parents sent me to Sunday school and occasionally we went to church. I don’t remember having any conversations with my parents about God when I was young. I always had a pet cat when I was growing up. One time my cat disappeared and I can remember praying to God for his safe return. I believed that God cared and could hear my prayers. Later, I joined the junior choir at church and really enjoyed it. This meant that I was in church service nearly every Sunday. When I became a young teen-ager it was time to prepare for confirmation and be instructed in following a Christian life. Part of this preparation was to attend a retreat for teen-agers, which lasted almost a week. During the discussion classes I eagerly shared thoughts about God with the other teens and adult leader, who was guiding the discussions. I can remember feeling something, a feeling of love and acceptance. Although at the time, I didn’t realize it was what I now think to be the presence of God.

When I was a high school student, another student invited me to attend a Young Life meeting, twice. I attended two meetings, and would have gone to more if I had not been so very shy. Each time I loved being there with all the other teens and the YL leaders. I loved the songs (lively, inspirational, and moving). The skits were hilarious. The message about Jesus was touching and thought-provoking. Again I felt the presence of God, but didn’t recognize that it was He. This time I wanted to talk to the Young Life leaders, but was too shy.

When I went away to college, I really missed singing harmony with a group, so I attended Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship weekly meetings, where they sang hymns and Christian speakers spoke. Sometimes the members of IVCF spoke about their relationship with God through Christ. And of all things, they talked about Jesus as if He were their friend, as if He were actively involved with their lives. At first I felt shocked to hear people talk so openly and personally about how important He was. This felt uncomfortable. For some reason I felt embarrassed. Perhaps I heard that we are all sinners, and I am separated from God. I had always believed that God existed and He loved us. At that time I believed that all religions led to God, and we belonged to a kind of ‘brotherhood of believers’. I didn’t know that there are significant differences in the other religions. I didn’t pray to Jesus or even consider what He had done on the cross for me about my sin.

Then my college roommate made a commitment to Christ. She told me about her experience, that she was forgiven, and how personal God became. After going to another meeting at IVCF I did realize that I wanted God to guide me in my life that He loved me and was trustworthy, so I began praying every night in my dorm room before going to bed. After about a week I was studying for a test, and began to think about God. I began to experience that ‘feeling’ again, but this time thought it was God trying to get my attention. I actually began to tremble inwardly, and suddenly realized that I needed to talk to my roommate who was not available then. So I went to see one of

the IVCF kids. Claire told me that Jesus is important because He is God’s Son. God wants to repair the broken relationship that we have with Him. It’s broken because we need forgiveness for our sins. God provides the way that we can be forgiven, and it’s by believing that Jesus death on the cross was payment for our sins. I realized that my prayer to God for guidance was being answered. He wanted me to know His son, because as I get to know Jesus I will get to know God himself. "I and the Father are one", Jesus told His disciples. "He who knows me will know the Father". I accepted Christ as God’s answer for me. I had become a believing Christian, not just a cultural Christian.

The next day joy filled my soul. For two weeks or so this joy, God’s presence, filled me up and did not leave. I was changed. I wanted God to have His way in my life. I wanted to read the Bible every day to learn all about Jesus. This was God’s answer to my prayer. He wanted to give me guidance, and the Bible is His guidebook for my life. His Bible not only guides my life, but through His word, He can tell me how much He loves me, forgives me, and be personally involved. He filled me with His Holy Spirit so I can feel His presence often and worship Him.

This ‘mountaintop experience’ made believing in Him very easy. When my feet touched the ground again, my feelings slid back into normal every day feelings. I have to admit that it scared me because I thought that God had left. Even though my feelings were more normal, I still wanted to study God’s word. As I kept reading the Bible, I realized that faith must come before feelings, and that God had not left me.

That was 42 years ago, and now I can look back on my life and rejoice in all the life experiences that God has given to my family and me. He continues to help me grow in faith and trust. Life is still a challenge, sometimes full of anxiety (or disappointment, or grief, or sadness, etc.), and not everything goes according to my plans. Often I need to be reminded that His plans must come first, that I must wait for His answers, that obedience to the Lord brings peace and satisfaction. I continue to learn to lean on and trust His promises, that He sets me free of guilt for my sin, that He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds, that He is with us when we go through difficult times, as Isaiah 43:2 reminds us, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." I am overwhelmed with gratitude for His graciousness as I read Jeremiah 29:11-14, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord. I am so thankful to our God for all He has done.

 How about you? Do you have a testimony of turning your life over to Christ, or a witness story about how God increased your faith?  Put it in Patty’s narthex mailbox or e mail to: pattykissinger@centenniallutheran.org

Note:  Have you just read this testimony and want to respond to the author – send me your reply and I’ll see that they get it!  Blessings, Patty