Manor Park Evangelical Church|Serving Christ and the Community in St. John's

I was brought up in a Church-going family and have always believed in God. I called myself a Christian because I went to church. However, this is not the meaning of a Christian as I was to discover!

When I was twenty years old I began to work out who God was. I was in a relationship with a man who wasn't a believer which began to change me. I swore a lot and began doing things I had said in the past I would never do!

This may sound strange but after two years in the relationship, I began to feel like God was challenging my life. At first, I just wanted to ignore him, as I was quite happy with my life.

But as time went on, I felt uncomfortable. I began to ask questions like: Is this really the life God wants me to be living? I also remember thinking, if I die tomorrow where would I go? I was scared that I might be on my way to hell, not heaven. I was confused and began to pray. I spoke to my boyfriend about issues in our relationship which were challenging me, but he didn't understand. I thought if we could change our relationship things would be better. I remember crying out to God and asking him if my boyfriend and I were meant to be together. I wanted to know if this relationship was God's idea or mine. Within a week, God made it clear.

My boyfriend started to become distant, angry and didn't want anything to change. As I prayed it became clear that this man wasn't in God's plan for me.

A few days later a Christian lady shared with me how she had married the wrong man. She knew he wasn't the one, even on her wedding day! It scared me, what if I was to do the same? She then shared with me how God had changed her life and told me the Good News; Jesus died on the cross because of all the times that we have messed up and will mess up. He took the punishment that should be ours on himself. If we believe in Him then we are forgiven and saved from hell.

In that moment the penny dropped! Jesus died for me! All the times I'd gone my own way and messed up, he died for all of it. I prayed a prayer accepting that I was a sinner and that Jesus was my Saviour. I asked Jesus to come into my life and change it to how he wanted it to be. After this prayer I had deep peace which didn't leave me. I knew I had just done something that would change my life forever. Everything I had been questioning over the previous weeks suddenly made sense. Now God was number one in my life everything else was clear. Like putting on glasses, suddenly my vision was perfect!

Since then God has completely changed my life! I broke up with the guy, which was hard, but God gave me strength to let go. What would you say to someone who said "God got rid of someone you loved"? The bottom line is that I made that relationship happen and I got it wrong. God has a plan for our lives and knows who is right for us. It was hard at the time but God wanted me to have the best. Years on, God has blessed me so much. I recently married a Christian guy, who I know is the right one because I asked God at the start!

Becoming a Christian isn't by walking through a church door on Sundays or by being 'religious'. It's by having a relationship with God. Come to God in prayer, ask for forgiveness, acknowledge that Jesus died in your place and wait in excitement to see where he takes you!

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