A Story to tell
／Doreen Szeto
I listened intently as the speaker described the path to his salvation - his broken past, his denial of God, his determination to die. Yet through all this he found truth. He found Jesus Christ. It was an amazing story that brought the audience to tears. "It's no fair. Why don't I have a story like that?" I brooded. If you asked for my testimony I could probably give it to you in a sentence. It's so boring. I didn't get saved in any extraordinary way. I wasn't on the verge of death when I was saved. I wasn't searching everywhere for God or questioning His existence. I wasn't someone hurting deep within, longing for hope. I was only a child, 6 or 7 years old, when I knelt down to pray with my mom to accept Jesus into my heart. That's all. What's so special about that?
I could hit myself for thinking those thoughts. I was jealous because someone's testimony sounded better than mine! I went home that night and in my prayers asked God why my testimony was so boring. The answer returned in a sentence: No one's testimony is worthless. So why did mine seem so mundane? So dull? Because I didn't realize the power behind my story: the love of God. I didn't go looking for God. He came looking for me, loving me and giving His life for me before I even existed. His love is an everlasting love, one that surpasses time and eternity as we can understand it. This love is my testimony.
Once I focused on this extraordinary love, everything else fell into place. I am fortunate to have the testimony I have. Because I was saved so early in my life, I have so many things to share about how God has worked in my life. From an early age, I could pray for others in the midst of their trials with the assurance that I had a Heavenly Father to listen to me. I can share with others the times when I felt His assurance in my life. Through my lifestyle others can hopefully see the love of Christ. And best of all, I can relate to those non-Christians out there thinking "I can't be saved unless I have a big conversion experience!" Now I can shout fearlessly to the world, "I know what you're feeling. And boy, do I have a story to tell!"
