Thank you for checking out Testimony Tuesday.<You can click there to check out more testimonies. Hopefully you can find one that relates to you or someone you know.
Today, I’m honored to share the story of Kris Kelley(make sure to check out her site and blog). Kris is a photographer, blogger and all round crafty lady. She designed the header you see at the top of this page, as well as the Testimony Tuesday banners. She’s done this for me because we’ve been friends for so long. Yep, I’ve know of Kris for a month or so and she lives across the ocean. That shows a ton to me about the heart of a person who is willing to help out total strangers. The world needs more people like Kris. This is her testimony:
Growing up in Tucson, Arizona I attended a small church called East Tucson Baptist Church (http://www.etbc.org/). My mother was a Sunday School teacher for the toddlers and I regularly attended Sunday School. My father did not attend church and has not been to a church since he was a kid. He had a bad experience when the pastor at his church asked his family not to attend because my then 14 year old aunt was pregnant out of wedlock. He felt that the church turned their family away at one of the times they needed them the most, and hasn’t gone back since.
When I was around 8 or 9, I wanted to be baptised. I thought I knew what it meant, and I felt ready so I asked the pastor to baptise me. My parents didn’t agree that I was ready and by this time my mom was no longer working at the church (I have no idea why). They did not attend my baptism and after being dunked my only hug was from another mother. I remember walking home after my baptism not feeling very great about the whole situation.
I attended church for several weeks afterwards and one day decided to ask my pastor a question about space. I didn’t understand who created the blackness and the wholeness of space, all of the other planets and gallexies. I told him I understood that God created the Heavens and the Earths, but who created him? To a 9 year old, I think this was a very valid question. It was a time when I was really trying to understand my surroundings and match it up to what I was learning in school about the solar system I guess. My pastor’s response was that God just is and that I needed to have faith in Him. This was not a sufficient answer for my 9 year old brain, and I didn’t return back to church.
Throughout my teenage years I was an absolute hellion. I was raped at the age of 12 and never told any adults (in fact, my father still doesn’t know to this day and my mom only learned when I was 19). It began a downward spiral of drug use & drinking. I was in and out of mental health facilities to be treated for depression, which we found out later was a mis-diagnosis. It was very in-vogue at that time to slap a depression diagnoses on every rebellious teenager. I excelled in school, but made minimal effort to actually attend.
When I was 15, our family moved to Georgia. Since I didn’t know anyone here, it was a good fresh start for me. Although, as soon as I had the opportunity to make friends, I ran straight towards those that could provide me with drugs. On my own I started stepping away from those things little by little.
By the time that I was 19, I purchased a home, was in a fairly stable long term relationship with a man who I was engaged to and was really learning to be responsible and live my life. I thought about church often, but never made any effort to attend. We broke off the engagement when I was 21 and and I had another downward spiral months later.
I found myself overdosing on a hard drug and waking up in a hospital. It was a wakeup call to fix that part of my life, and I did. I am happy to say that I have been sober since 2003. With that being said, I tried hard to get the rest of my life in order. I entered into two more serious relationships, one of which lasted for another (nearly) 4 years. That relationship ended very badly when I was 7 weeks pregnant with my son.
During my entire pregnancy, I was constantly battling within myself the decision to go to church. Something (or someone!) kept telling me I needed to go, it was the best thing for me. I ignored it.
It wasn’t until after my son was born, that I had a discussion with a counselor I didn’t know. During our discussion she told me that she never felt so strongly before that she felt God wanted to have a conversation with me. She said He wanted to talk to me so bad and I really needed to listen. After that discussion, I called Andy. I told him I wanted to go to church with him. I was so moved and my heart felt so heavy, I knew it was the right time.
At first I told myself I wanted to go only for my son. I wanted him to grow up with the church, because they could provide so much for him. They could teach him so many great morals and values that are crucial to his self-success that I may not know how to teach him. But now, after going for a couple of months, I really feel that this is what is best for me.
I have these desires to be so much more involved. I want to know God on a personal level. I really want to be a great Christian. It is a step in the right direction, but I’m still struggling with my faith. One part of me feels like I’m new to all of this and that it will take time. The other part of me says God has been with me for all the days of my life and how could it possibly be new when He has been there all along. It’s a struggle that gets better every day.
The counselor that suggested I have a conversation with God told me a wonderful story. She told me a story of man who entered into Heaven and was met by St. Peter. St. Peter offered the man a tour. The man gladly accepted and looked around. There were so many doors! The man was shown around and saw so many beautiful things. At the end of the tour, the man said it was beautiful, but before he decided that this was where he wanted to spend eternity, he wanted to know what was behind one last door that St. Peter hadn’t shown him. St. Peter opened the door and there was a huge room full of millions of beautifully wrapped presents. The man asked St. Peter what all the presents were for and St. Peter proudly gleamed that those were God’s unclaimed gifts. He said that God offers gifts to every person, and all those people have to do is ask for them.
I thought that it was absolutely beautiful. God has gifts for me that I haven’t ever asked for until now. I’m sure there are a hundred presents in that room that had my name on them and I completely passed over because I chose not to ask God for them. I don’t think I will ever pass up one of those again. I look forward to everything God has to provide for me, and I thank God for everything he has already provided for me. Having my son and re-establishing my relationship with God has been the best gift of all. I’m proud to continue on this journey and to experience it with the people around me.
Thank you Kris, for sharing your testimony!
Can you relate to her story? Do you know someone who can? If so, I trust you’ll make sure they have an opportunity to learn from Kris.
Big things coming in the Tuesdays to come. Be sure to check back!
