My Testimony for Out of the Miry Clay

I had to write a short testimony for Out of the Miry Clay Ministries and I figured I'd share it with you.

Growing up I always believed that there was a God out there and I believed that He was Jesus but I did not truly believe that He cared about the details of my life. I did not believe that He was there for me. I felt that he did not care about the troubles in my life and in my family. I was deceived by the enemy of our soul for many years. He blinded my eyes so that I could not see the wonderful things that God had planned for me. Out of my own selfishness and desire to have my own way and control my own life I resisted God’s love. I was so lost and misguided by foolishness. I followed all the wrong people down a destructive path. (2 Corinthians 4:4, James 2:14-15, Matthew 7:13-14)

Perhaps it was the death of my mother when I was sixteen or the multiple molestations within the family that caused my heart to harden. I did not know how to love and it was even harder to receive love. From a young teenager I was in and out of jail. I don’t remember ever being scared. I was full of anger, wrath, and bitterness. I loved partying and wild parties. I loved the darkness. I did not care who I hurt or the negative influence that I was having on my younger brother and sister. By the time I was sixteen I caught a drug trafficking charge. I was given five years probation. What a mistake. I violated that probation three times before they finally got tired of my rebellious nature and decided to send me to prison to finish up my sentence. (Galatians 5:19-21)

By this time I had a small child, a gift of God that I did not deserve and I did not truly value. I was just twenty years old on my way to prison, but God had a plan. What the enemy meant to destroy me the Lord turned around for my good and for His glory. He had not forgotten me and left me alone in the mess that I had made out of my life. (Genesis 50:20, Hebrews 13:5-6)

By the time I was sentenced to prison I had surrendered my life to the Lord. I realized that I had made a mess of my life. My will and my way of doing things resulted in chaos and destruction. I decided that I would put my life in the hands of the One who watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of my mother’s womb. He saw me before I was born and every day of my life was recorded in His book. He protected me even when I was in rebellion and did not allow me to be utterly destroyed. (Psalm 139:13-16)

I learned that He has always had precious thoughts about me. His Word showed me that His thoughts about me are so many that they cannot even be numbered. They can’t be counted. They even outnumber the grains of sand! Even when I am sleeping He is thinking about me and He is still with me when I awake! Amazing!! He had always had wonderful plans for me, to prosper me and give me a future and hope in Christ Jesus. If I would only cry out to Him and seek Him with all of my heart. That is exactly what I did and now I am leaving a legacy and inheritance for my descendants. My children are now a heritage of the Lord. Generations are changed because I chose life in Christ Jesus instead of life committed to myself, the world, and sin. (Psalm 139: 17-18, Jeremiah 29:11-13, Psalm 127:3)

Today I am blessed and highly favored of God. He has restored everything that was lost in the years of my disobedience. He has blessed me with seven beautiful children, five of which I had the privilege of birthing. I have a husband who loves me and is committed to God and our family. I serve the Lord full time with all of my heart. God is no respecter of persons. What He has done for me He will do for you. I waited patiently for the LORD to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD. (Joel 2:25, Psalm 40:1-3)