Once you’ve said, “I do” to Jesus Christ, then you will never have another worry or care in the world, right? Wrong. One would assume the presence of God’s Son would shield us from any further struggles, but that was never a promise God made. What He did promise was He would be ‘with’ us during our trials but not that we would be trail-less.
As I mentioned in a previous blog, I accepted Jesus at the age of 7 years old. My grandfather, who was my pastor, baptized me by immersion to represent the decision I had made at the Billy Graham Crusade. The act of my Pop-Pop placing me under water was to represent that I am now buried with Christ, and then raised to a resurrected life. This ordinance was to show others I believed in Christ with all of my heart. Baptism did not save me…it was done to show others I accepted Jesus.
I enjoyed my new life as I became more active in church choir, missionary activities, and Bible study. I loved going to church. Not only did my entire family go there, too, but the whole church became my family. Was so easy to take this perfect lifestyle for granted and trust that God would always protect us as we served Him wholeheartedly.
But, on February 3, 1968 my ideal world stood still after one phone call. A nurse called to encourage us to get to the hospital as soon as possible. My grandmother stopped breathing while recovering from a simple removal of her gall bladder the day before. She died instantly with no success of being revived. We were devastated and from that day on my family fell apart. My perfect world was terribly shaken. I made the decision, at the age of 13,to stop going to church for awhile. Just way too many memories of Granny. Besides…why would God allow this to happen?
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:2-3
Have you been tested?
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