For many years I read and listened to others’ testimonies with great admiration, and kept on wondering when I will be able to tell a similar story about my life? When will my story be able to make a similar impact, and change others? Even the Biblical books fascinated me, and I thought how special it must be to be known as one of the Biblical writers?
But you see, unfortunately my lifestyle had no room for building up a story, and my choices caused havoc instead of peace in my life. The problem is, I didn’t realize it at that stage. I actually thought that I had the perfect life, and that my melancholic approach to my existence was normal (you know the “nobody is really happy, they just pretend” approach!).
But you see, unfortunately my lifestyle had no room for building up a story, and my choices caused havoc instead of peace in my life. The problem is, I didn’t realize it at that stage. I actually thought that I had the perfect life, and that my melancholic approach to my existence was normal (you know the “nobody is really happy, they just pretend” approach!).
Jeremiah 23:29 “Is not My word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?”
But with God’s grace everything changed for me in 2007!
But with God’s grace everything changed for me in 2007!
I was invited to attend a women’s camp, while I was actually not invited. And I invited a dear friend, while she was actually also not invited. My cousin wanted to invite my sister to the camp, but she needed me to get my sister there. I agreed and booked two places, not knowing what God’s plan was! (My sister went through a very difficult time back then as she had a miscarriage shortly before, so she really didn’t feel like people). And that is how the comical story happened of the two of us camping “uninvited”. O boy…what a memorable camp! The Friday afternoon I picked up my friend, and with the speakers booming with heavy metal music we tackled our three hour trip to the camp side. It was clearly our very first camp, as we genuinely didn’t know what to expect. |
The Friday evening we started with awesome praise and worship, and that just opened our flood gates! After a very emotional weekend (with tons of tears!), both of us got baptized the Sunday morning. And as they say…the past became history, and our future was with God! And what a bright future awaited us.
John 6:63 “It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life.”
We made a choice for God that weekend, and we had to go home that Sunday afternoon with a conscious decision to sort out our lives. Was the change easy? Certainly not! But was the change worth it? Most definitely yes! Did God change our circumstances and our lives overnight? Undoubtedly not! Our husbands were not on our spiritual high, and our friends didn’t know what happened to us. Our work colleagues and families thought we lost it! But God changed our hearts and our thoughts that weekend, and He made it possible for us to work through every situation and to restore peace in every relationship. I will not lie and pretend it was all easy, there were times that I thought the known would be much easier than the unknown. But every time my thoughts went in the wrong direction, I just reminded myself of how great it is to serve an extraordinary God, and how He supernaturally changed my life. Serving God does not indemnify you from problems, but it equips you with Godly wisdom, peace and the strength to handle any situation. Do I see myself as a perfect human being now? Absolutely not! I still make mistakes, but I grow in my relationship every day, every week, and every year.
John 6:63 “It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life.”
We made a choice for God that weekend, and we had to go home that Sunday afternoon with a conscious decision to sort out our lives. Was the change easy? Certainly not! But was the change worth it? Most definitely yes! Did God change our circumstances and our lives overnight? Undoubtedly not! Our husbands were not on our spiritual high, and our friends didn’t know what happened to us. Our work colleagues and families thought we lost it! But God changed our hearts and our thoughts that weekend, and He made it possible for us to work through every situation and to restore peace in every relationship. I will not lie and pretend it was all easy, there were times that I thought the known would be much easier than the unknown. But every time my thoughts went in the wrong direction, I just reminded myself of how great it is to serve an extraordinary God, and how He supernaturally changed my life. Serving God does not indemnify you from problems, but it equips you with Godly wisdom, peace and the strength to handle any situation. Do I see myself as a perfect human being now? Absolutely not! I still make mistakes, but I grow in my relationship every day, every week, and every year.
My life story changed in 2007, and I now have a powerful witness to give to others (of which I will share more detail at a later stage). God’s mercy is enormous, and His unconditional love is not only for special people, but for anyone who will acknowledge and follow Him. Initially I didn’t realize what a dramatic impact it made on the people around me, but God showed me the importance of sharing testimonies. To demonstrate His love for His children to the world, by using ordinary people to share their extra ordinary stories! He opened my spiritual eyes, and He is still editing some of the chapters while adding new ones. |
If it feels like you don’t have a story to tell, maybe it is time to ask yourself if you really don’t have a story, or if you just feel that your story is not precious enough to share? And if you know that you really don’t have a story yet, then maybe just maybe it is time to make the choice to make the change, and start writing your story! God is calling you, and He is waiting for all of His children to come home. You never need to ask “where is God?”, you only need to answer “where am I?” Remember, it is your voice and your story. Don’t be ashamed, tell it to the world!
John 9:19 – 21 "And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or Who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.”
Please do feel free to share your testimony with us via our website.
May you all have a blessed weekend.
Yolandi
John 9:19 – 21 "And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or Who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.”
Please do feel free to share your testimony with us via our website.
May you all have a blessed weekend.
Yolandi