Salvation Story

I grew up in a Christian home, where church was a constant presence due to the fact that my dad was a worship pastor, and I believe that my testimony began the moment I was born. Growing up, my mom was told that she would not be able to have children, so finding out that she was pregnant with me was not only a surprise, but a miracle. The miracle grew when my parents found out that not only were they pregnant, but pregnant with twins. The pregnancy progressed as normal, until my mom went into labor at only 28 weeks- three months too soon. My sister Lily and I were admitted to the NICU immediately, and my parents rejoiced at their blessing. Two days later though, the doctor came to tell my parents that Lily did not make it, and passed away due to heart complications, and that I was at risk of dying as well, if something was not done. I had a flap of skin over my heart, that without open heart surgery, would prevent my body from functioning properly. As my parents were hearing this news, the pastor of the church they were attending at the time came to visit them. Hearing my parents' situation he asked them what the church could do, and all my dad said was, "tell them to pray". I was then rushed to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, with my parents following behind. Upon arrival at the hospital, the doctor informed my parents that I would in fact not need open heart surgery, but by some miracle, simply needed to grow. When my dad went to go tell their pastor this, he simply opened up his phone and called the church. He put the call on speaker phone, and let the congregation tell my parents that there were seventy five or more people gathered praying for me, and that they were shouting praise for the miracle that had happened. From that point on, I grew just as the doctor’s said I would, with no abnormal health issues typically found in premature babies. Growing up with the knowledge of this event, it was not difficult for my faith to grow, and God’s miraculous works to be evident to me.

It was when I was four years old that I ultimately asked the Lord into my heart. My mom would read the book "If Jesus Came to Visit Me" with me every night before I went to bed. The whole point of the book was that each child that Jesus came to visit wanted to give him a parting gift, but Jesus told each of them that he doesn't want a material gift, he wants our hearts, and in turn our love. Understanding that this was the most simple form of the Gospel, I told my parents that I wanted to give Jesus the gift of my heart. I then prayed to accept Christ. I wasn't baptized until I was eight years old because I didn't fully understand its purpose, and feared it. As I grew up, since I had been saved at such a young age, I struggled with questioning my own testimony because I felt that it was not as impactful as other testimonies I had heard. With the help of my mom, I realized that everyone's testimony looks different, and everyone grows in their walk with the Lord at a different pace, that is what makes His love so beautiful- He meets you wherever you are. This encouraged me to pursue my relationship with the Lord more fervently, and helped me build the confidence to share my testimony with my peers, regardless of how ordinary I felt it may be. I used this as a platform to spur on other Christians who struggle with the same insecurities, reminding them that the fact that we are saved from a eternity of suffering, by the God who sent His own son to die for us, only to have him get out of the grave three days later, is what makes our story extraordinary. And that sometimes, what people need to hear, isn't the epic tale of redemption, but instead is the simple fact that they are loved immeasurably more than they will ever know, regardless of their journey.

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