THOUGHTS FOR THE ROAD....... LESS TRAVELED

Lessons learned for the Christian life.

God Uses Imperfect People


2 Corinthians 4:7  We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

   I am shocked by the way that God has chosen to use me. Starting with the obvious, I am painfully shy, and cannot bare to speak in front of a crowd, yet He called me to lead worship for 2 years. I have 5 children ages 5-14 and I am by no stretch of the imagination a great mother, and yet now He has called me to lead a children's ministry. I am counting on and expecting God to "show up" because the life He is leading me towards I simply cannot live in my own strength. 

   Even more amazing to me is that He sees me fit to serve in these capacities at all. If there is a mistake out there that I haven't made knowingly and willingly, it must not have been invented yet. My life changed drastically in 2008 when I gave my life to Christ, and in ways that I could not possibly have orchestrated. I guess that is the point isn't it? God wants us to be someone that we cannot be without Him. If I could do the things He wanted me to then I could take the praise for it, this way everyone knows that God is at work.

   One thing that used to seriously annoy me when I was a non Christian attending church was hearing people who had lived their perfect churchy lives since they were 7 talk about how God had miraculously provided for them, or saved them... when their 3rd house wouldn't sell, or someone stole their boat. My problems were  bigger than that. 

   When I was barely 18 I boarded a greyhound bus in Greenville, South Carolina and rode it for 3 days to Seattle Washington, to marry a boy that I met at the age of 15, and that I had spent a grand total of maybe 48 hours with before that time. (wasn't I a smart one) My first husband literally.... listen, he literally tried to kill me. He had a drug issue that I knew nothing about..... cause I knew him for like 5 minutes. Drugs can make people do pretty bad things. He held me hostage in our home, pointed guns at me, hit me, choked me with a belt... look, I could go on, let's just say it was a bad situation. I coped with alcohol and lots of it. I divorced him in 1999, when I found out I was expecting our 3rd child. I had to sneak away, my parents flew me and the kids back to SC. I met the man I later moved in with at a bar when I was 5 months pregnant, yes, I am ashamed of it. We lived together for a few years before we were married and we fought a lot, cursed a lot, yelled a lot, lied a lot. I was once again on the fast track for divorce when we decided to go to church one Sunday because My husbands Brother In Law was a new preacher.

   That day changed my life. It doesn't matter where you are or what your past looks like, Christ can change your life too. I am not saying that I am perfect now or that life is all peaches and cream, it isn't. But I live my life now on this earth in anticipation for my next life in Heaven. The Bible says that without Christ sacrifice to cover our sins- we go to hell. It is a literal, horrible, torturous place and people go there, I was going there in a hand basket because I had broken God's laws, I stole a pack of lifesavers from the mall when I was a kid, and many things after that, which made me a thief, I had a pretty big honestly problem, that made me a liar, I made a lot of things more important than God, that is idolatry, I took the Lord's name in vain, a lot..I didn't honor my father and mother.... I hated people which made me guilty of murder... I could go on,  but If you have done any of these things and  if you have not repented of your sins and made Jesus the Lord of your life the Bible says that you will go to hell but, you don't have to. If you would like to hear more, or want to know more, email me CLICK HERE or leave a comment, it will remain private. I will show you what to do in order to be made right with God, so that your eternity can be in heaven.

   You can also check out these great sites Proverbs31  Are You Good

   

2 comments:

What an amazing testimony!! I can totally understand what you're saying about being annoyed with the shallow testimonies. People have REAL problems and need a REAL God for REAL life!!! You are a vessel God can use to make that REAL God known.

2/9/11, 10:36 AM  
Anonymous said...

what an incredible testimony, angie. and thank god for all that he protected from!

(it bothers some folks to know that) i can't say i have a salvation date that i can remember because it is all i've ever known, being raised in ministry. i also wished for a story like this but, even as a christian, made some similarly self-destructive choices.

no matter how thankful i am to god (and i truly, truly am), i think someone who never knew god and then steps into a relationship with him has a greater appreciation for the price that was paid for you. (just an observation i've made through the years.)

you don't know what you don't know until you know it. i'm so glad you know it!

xo

2/9/11, 3:45 PM  

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