Being Challenged

I was sitting outside of a day spa this morning waiting for my husband to finish his birthday massage (his very first one) and I decided in order to pass time to watch a video I downloaded from iTunes.  It is a podcast video from my parents church back home in Austin, Hill Country Bible Church NW.  I love this church.  I just love the family oriented atmosphere plus there is a history there for me.  We, as a family, started going there I believe in 2000 or maybe the year before.  We were introduced to the church by our neighbors who's daughter was being baptized and they wanted us to be part of the celebration of her declaration to Him.  Now, I would like to say that growing up we weren't the go to church every Sunday but we did go to a neighborhood church now and then, St. Phillips Methodist Church.  We would tend to go to service on those holiday occasions.  I remember going to Sunday school and doing arts and crafts and play in the playground until the adults were done with the sermon.  I liked going but never had a deep connection with Jesus.  Eventually we would stop going since they changed pastors, so we didn't really go to church for a few years until Hill Country. 

After that first service at Hill Country we attended it became our new home church.  There were times when my sister and I would be the typical teenagers and not want to go and would rather sleep in but our parents never PUSHED us to go unless we wanted to go.  Eventually we would make it our weekly attendance and become more engaged in learning from each message. One of my fondest and life changing memories was when Pastor Tim led a prayer for those who haven't decided to walk with Jesus.  I honestly can't remember the message leading up to prayer, all I know is that it was one of those messages that was directed to those who did not believe in Him yet.  As he was leading us to prayer I knew I wanted to be one of those changed by the gospel and to lead a Christian life.  I was also going through a family struggle, well the family as a whole was.  This was when my mom was battling breast cancer.  I just felt the need of Jesus in my life to help me through this family tribulation and to see something good come out of this.  After, that prayer to let Jesus in my life, I didn't feel an overwhelming difference but at peace and knew that my mom would come out of this cancer as a warrior and she did.  She's been in remission ever since and I'm so thankful she's healthy and happy (well she's got a banged up shoulder after a fall a month ago) but all in all everything is good in the cancer front. 

Since taking that step, I believe I've seen three miracles.  The first was when the congregation of Hill Country raised above and beyond the goal to expand our church.  I still get goose bumps when I think of that Sunday morning when they presented us the final amount raised in a series named The Great Investment..  The second one was when I witnessed a college friend come to Jesus in thanks to Allissa from Campus Crusaders at the Baylor Campus.  I've was interested in going to check Cru for a while my first semester at Baylor and found out that my friend, Gina, was interested in going as well.  The following semester we would go to their weekly meetings and came upon Allissa and her small group.  Even though I was a Christian, I learned a lot from Allissa since I never had that one on one discipleship before.  It was Spring of 2005 and the coffee shop across from our dorms that Gina decided to accept Jesus into her life and that was such a moving experience for me to watch.  The third miracle happens to be about Pastor Tim and his public announcement to the congregation of his tongue cancer and beating the odds and finally spoke to us in a prerecorded message after fears that he may not speak again.  I was so moved and touched by his message that all I could think about was that the Lord had something to do with Tim's miraculous healing. 

Now, I don't consider myself a very public Christian.  I'm bad at keeping up with the Bible or even finding a new home church here in Rio Rancho.  I am a private person especially when it comes to sharing my story, so this has been a challenge for me but thanks to Pastor Tim, who in the last message wanted to talk about that scary word "Evangelism",  in pushing me and hopefully all the members back home at the church to share our stories to a friend, coworker, or even a stranger.  He gave me this idea of writing it down and posting it on my blog in hopes that someone will read my testimony and that other believers will do the same.  I only hope this will help me become closer to God and eventually break out of my shell and become a more out spoken person when it comes to My Story. 

So I challenge you, the reader, if you are a believer to share your story either through the internet world or on a one on one with someone who doesn't quite know you on the personal level.  You never know, it may open up someone's eyes and reconsider their path in life.