I never really know where to begin with a testimony and how to keep it short LOL. So much has happened so I will try and keep it short!
I grew up with divorced parents, they divorced when I was 2.5 and my mum was pregnant with my sister. My mum's family are Jewish, so I knew about God, we celebrated Passover etc and I sometimes went to Synagogue with my Nanna, but it was more a cultural than religious thing.
We grew up having lots of different men in our life as my mum's partners, that was hard and I always knew I hated it and felt that it was wrong. One was rather inappropriate with us and today it would be classified as sexual abuse, not that he ever kissed or did anything like that, but he was grooming us, making us watch pornographic movies and things. I would cause big trouble when I knew one was planning on staying the night! We saw my dad every second weekend, he went on to have another wife with two kids and then another with two more. So I have 4 sisters and one brother. I love them all dearly and know that if my parents had stayed together it wouldn't have turned out well.
In high school I was rather depressed and hated most things, I could fake it though, but then I met a friend while working in a supermarket. She was so nice and kind and we started to write to another in the week and leave the notes in each other's work lockers. She was 3 years older than me. I learned she was a Christian. I didn't really KNOW much about it, except that it meant you beleived in Jesus, and my family didn't. Her letters were always full of love, encouragement, acceptance, something I didn't always feel I was getting elsewhere. From there we remained friends and I questioned her alot about Jesus, all the ones that people use to try and disprove Him. It came to the point where I had no more questions and I beleived who Jesus was. So she led me to Christ, that was 11 years ago in February.
I bought a bible from a book shop, a Good News Bible and would read that every day until she bought me a New King James Bible and began to read that. I didn't really know "how" you were supposed to read it so I would just read it from Genesis to Revelation. Ha ha. So I have read the entire Bible from start to finish 2 times. I LOVED to read my Bible while I was in Uni. Its all I wanted to do. I then graduated and became a teacher and moved to a country town away from the city, the church I had been going to etc. It was hard adjusting to country life and making new friends but God knew the desires of my heart for friends and he kept opening doors.
He also moved in which church I would go to. I was invited to go to one church in particular and I sat in the service and cried. It was NOTHING like my other church, the people were great, but it just didn't feel right. I then went the next week (with my dear friend who led me to the Lord who had moved to the next town to work) and it felt like home. The pastor took to me and he and his family took me in. They had 3 sons, the eldest I was told and I would be "perfect". Ha ha. It was the middle son who moved up soon after me that I met and we became friends. I married him a year and a half later.
We have two beautiful children and still live in the same town we met. Things haven't always been easy with us, and I have really struggled through my marriage to stay strong, learn to be a good wife and to practice forgiveness, patience and praying without ceasing. My hope is for my children to grow up in a home that has two loving parents who love one another. That is something we daily work on.
I have been slack in my Bible reading since the kids, I would lead a Bible study but only do the readings for that week. I am learning so much each day I read and am truly amazed how something new is revealed each time, even though I may have read the stories and scriptures dozens of times before. I am hoping to grow more as a mother and a wife and a person through reading and KNOWING His Word daily in my life. I need to be the strong one at the moment and I know its only because of God and being built up in Him that I will make it through and be victorious.
Thank you Tammy for starting this. We are grateful God is using you in our lives to draw us closer and deeper.
7 comments:
You're welcome Nicole!
Thank you for sharing your story. I am so thankful for the friend you made who led you to Christ - thankful for her obedience to God. God is faithful!
Thanks for sharing.
That was wonderful Nicole! My mom was from a broken home too, and it was sooooo hard for her. Her stepmother was (and still is) a blessing to the family, but the initial split and the lifestyle my biological grandmother went on to lead, tore my mom's brothers to pieces, and their lifestyles eventually led to their very early deaths. I don't think people realize how hard divorce is on children. I am so thankful that you and your husband are working so hard to make the opposite kind of family for your children!
Tammy I gave my friend that verse where it says how pretty are the feet of the one who brings the good news (or something like that) one year printed out and framed as a thank you. Grace's middle name is named after her too.
Kristi-divorce is hard, I love all my family to bits but it does get hard when its Christmas, birthdays etc and one parents plays against the other.
There have been times where my own marriage hasn't looked like it would make it, but God strengthens me and shows me that I need to keep forgiving and loving my husband like Christ loves Him. Makes me very reliant on God :)
Nicole-It wasn't until 2 years ago, that we both really felt like we would make it for a lifetime. We had so much to overcome, and even with us both being Christians, we still had hard times. With God's help, we both love eachother more now than we ever have, and have commited to spending our lives together, for better or for worse....for real. I had to learn to love him for him and to be part of the solution, and not part of the problem. I learned to tell the Lord about my frustrations with my hubby instead of telling him. It only hurt him and made him feel like I only loved him for who I wanted him to be, and not who he was. I forget that I'm not perfect either. He would love it if I was a much better housekeeper and remembered to always put him before the kids... and I don't and I'm not. I'm working on it though.
It's so true, that marriage is two different people, learning year after year to live as one. It can be hard for even the most seemingly perfect people. You are still going to have different ideas, and different personalities. There are still things I wish I could "change" about my husband, but I try to look at all the good things about him instead. I also think about all the things God would love to change about me...and try to work on those instead! Heaven help me!
I thought I had posted back to this?? Hmmm.
Thank you so much for sharing what you did. That really encouraged me. I have been trying the last few months to put into practice what you said you started to do and are doing. My husband is a good man and loves God but is not following or doing what God would ask of him all the time, to pray to Him, read His Word, put Him first. I am believing he will one day soon!
Your welcome Nicole. Pray for me and I will pray for you! It's a daily struggle to not stand in the way of God and our husbands. After I realized that I needed to get out of the way and pray for my husband more than I criticized him, he has grown by leaps and bounds. It amazes me so much.
Why I still think sometimes I can do a better job than God can is beyond me. I know better. I think it's just lack of patience...I really do.
I will!! Thank you!
I do need to spend more time on my knees before God than complaining AT my husband and ABOUT my husband. Thank you for reminding me of that.
I think I may be a little bit more like Sarah than I thought :P
Post a Comment