Journey to Jesus

On 4/28/14 my world was forever changed. A tornado swept through my home town, Tuscaloosa AL, that caused my basement to collapse, landing a 2,000 pound + concrete wall on me and my boyfriend. In the midst of pure shock, almost positive I was about to die, the only thing I could think about was if I was going to Heaven or Hell. The unknown was terrifying. Not because I was living this awful life, but because I wasn’t living a life sold out for The Lord. At this point I had gasped to the point I was out of air, and John looked at me and says, “I’ll make sure you’re ok, whether I’m ok or not” and pushed the concrete wall off of me. This same concrete wall six fireman together struggled to move. Fast forward a few days trying to wrap my mind around everything that had happened… My basement caved in, walls collapsing, watching someone I care about take his last breath saving my life, my world was turned upside down. I clung to the verse, Jeremiah 29:11. The verse says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I realized God didn’t do this to hurt me. He is for me, not against me. Even in the midst of so much confusion (which I now realize is from the enemy, because God is not a God of confusion) I knew He had a grand plan. This would all be used to glorify His great kingdom. He had and has a plan for me. He has a great calling on my life. I packed up the next month on journey to a summer in Lake Tahoe, on a Christian leadership project, that would forever change my life. After spending a summer with 60 other college students craving to know more and more of Jesus, and leaders who wanted nothing more than to help put the pieces together and make His name known I’ll never be the same. I’m not here to say I live a perfect life, because I don’t. I was lost and broken, but now I’m found and forgiven. I’m not claiming to be strong, because I’m not. God is my strength. I still feel pain and have heartache, like everyone else, but I can call on His name and He will grant me comfort and peace. I’ve pled, I’ve turned to things of the world, and I’ve made mistakes. But God tells me I’m worth it, I am enough, and He loves me – He met me where I was and transformed my life in His Holy presence. Now I walk in freedom and I am a walking testament to His great grace.

Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.