I grew up in a small town near Columbia, SC. My family and I attended church occasionally. One summer I participated in the youth program. I had lots of fun going on the trips with my friends and learned some things about Jesus Christ. At the end of the summer, I was baptized with many of my friends. A few years later, my parents divorced. I begged God to save my family, but everything in my life was destroyed. I blamed everyone, including the little I knew about God. Thankfully, I had the prayers of a loving grandmother but more importantly, the love and person of Jesus Christ watching over me. For the next ten years I tried to make my way in the world. Every relationship I had failed. I married, but that ended too. I had lots of goals and attempted to accomplish them, however most of my efforts were unsuccessful. I began living a destructive lifestyle that took everything except my life. One night my grandmother’s prayers were answered, and I cried out for God to help me, to save me from the mess I had made of my life.

Eventually I married again and determined to use my education and values to build a stable family. I knew church was important, so I became active in church and faithfully attended with my children. I also became part of a ladies Sunday School class. One Saturday, I met with one of the teachers. During our conversation, she asked me an unusual question. “If you were to die tonight and God asked you why He should let you into His heaven, what would you say?” I remembered my experience during that summer I participated in the youth program as a teenager and quickly answered, “Well, I was baptized as a child.” And after all, I finally was living a good and moral life and even trying to build a stable family. I was basing my eternal fate on the things I had done. My friend explained that my assurance of spending forever in heaven wasn’t based on the things I had done, but entirely on what Jesus had done. He died on the cross, was buried, and then was raised from the dead proving He is God. His sacrifice had paid the punishment for my sin and He wanted to know me personally. I suddenly realized that I needed to surrender my life to Him and trust Him with all things in my life.

Jesus Christ has changed me from the inside out. He has restored what those ten years of living without Him took away. He has taught me so much and given me truth, love, and purpose. I am so thankful for Him and His faithfulness. One of the things I am so grateful for is His gift in giving me my family. I am not a perfect wife or mother, but God has guided every step and continues to bless our home. Life is filled with struggles, but I can’t imagine living without Jesus. He is the source of my strength. His goodness continues to amaze me, and I look forward to His work in my immediate and extended family.