2010 Testimony

This going through emails is wild!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm gonna skip a few years because my writing about God (although beautiful in its own right) is starting to grate on my nerves. But, it is an insight for those who didn't know me when I was a conservative christian. What a weird sentence to type.

Anyway, this was my testimony I read to STUDENTS.

Bonkers.

2010 Michelle’s testimony:

When I was growing up, my father was a very wealthy drug dealer in our town. We had

it all – the cars, the house, the perfect life to an outsider looking in. Then, my parents

divorced when I was in kindergarten. Life was difficult, to say the least. My dad then

did a 180. He turned to God and became very legalistic. I thought that if that’s what a

Christian was like, I sure as heck didn’t want to be one of those.

My mom continued to take my sister and I to church. I grew up in a wonderful church

community, but pretty much just went to socialize and eat homemade doughnuts. I

believed in God and thought that was enough.

Then I grew up. College happened and so did life. I was living for me and seemed to

enjoy myself, but something was missing. I graduated and became a grown up. I was

living the life I worked so hard for, but I was empty. You name it and I turned to it to fill

the hole inside: drugs, alcohol, relationships, isolation, and busyness. Nothing seemed to

fill the void.

Then I started thinking about God again. I knew He was there and He loved me, but I

never thought to ask for His help. So I did. It didn’t happen over night. And, it wasn’t

easy. But, little by little, God came in and transformed my life. He showed me that I had

tried to live life without Him for too long, and it was time for Him to come in and take

over.

And here I am two years later… Life couldn’t be better. I love life more than I ever have.

I have deeper, more meaningful relationships. God has healed past hurts and helped me

repair my relationship with my family. He’s given me a purpose. He’s given me so

many people to love on and be loved by. He’s given me new eyes to see the world as He

wants me to see it. I’m no longer bound by selfishness and self-centeredness. I am only

bound to Him and His love, mercy and grace. Sure I mess up, but all I do is give it to

him, where I used to wallow for weeks in mistakes.

God is my reason. He’s my portion. He is so good and so faithful. He didn’t have to

choose me, but He did. So, the least I can do is make the decision everyday to live for

him instead of myself.