Hello everyone, I thought it was be good to share some collected stories from Christians on a post I recieved. They are diverse from mum's with children to pastors. I hope some you identfy with and they uplift you.
Guest story 1
I gave my life to Christ as an adult. As an adult I have been baptised by the Holy Spirit and by full immersion in water. It was a challenging and complicated journey up to the point I stopped running away from Him. Since accepting my Lord and Saviour, life is no less challenging and complicated, but it is full of gratitude, joy, and the peace that passes all understanding. Thanks be to God
Guest story 2
Hi. I'm a lifelong Christian. I was Christened into the Church of England as a baby, and confirmed at 13. As a child I regularly attended Sunday school, and then once I started secondary school was allowed to help as a "young leader." I also went to Brownies/Guides and did church parade and so on. I did a shirt stint the the choir, and was often given the lead role in the nativity play. I regularly did readings in church too, which I absolutely would not do these days.
As a teen I was in a church based dance group, run by my friends mum and based at the local methodist church. We were called The Christian Dancers and performed at a few Church events including a wedding and a baptism.
I drifted away from church for a while, whilst I was still doing the dance group and the occasional service. I never stopped believing, but I was busy being a teen.
I had my own DC really young, they were both Christened at the same church as me, despite it not being my local. They went to the local CofE nursery and primary school, and from there I started attending the church 'Cafe', and then the church. I'm still an active member of both. We have a midweek discussion group, which is loosely faith based and midweek communion at the Cafe, as well as various activities like craft and toddlers. On Sundays I'm on the chalice rota, so take my turn at offering the wine. My eldest son is on the creche rota, and I also help with the children's groups in an emergency. I'm in my second year as a PCC member.
I've been through some really really bad times in my life. I've tried, at times to stop believing. But ultimately I couldn't. I've raged and shouted at God. I've hated him at times.
But I've also found the most incredible love. When I was at my lowest, I felt like I was at the bottom of a deep, dark well
Friends would sit at the top and we could chat. Sometimes I could reach their fingertips. But they couldn't lift me out. Then one day I realised that I had never been alone. Jesus had been there all along, just waiting for me to be ready.
So that's my journey so far. Sometimes I feel like God is calling me. But I'm not sure what for yet.
Guest Story 3
I was baptised in a Congregational Church and attended Sunday School for some years. I joined the church when I was a teenager. Shortly afterwards I started attending a nearby Church of England which had a big and friendly youth club. It was there that I worked out what I’d been hearing for years and committed my life to Jesus.
I returned to the Congregational church and started to train to be a lay preacher. After a year or so I moved to Glasgow to attend Bible College and was a student there from 1969 to 1971.
After that I worked for Scripture Union for a couple of years and married another staff member. .We then worked for the Anglican Church in Israel for seven years.
When we returned to the UK we lived and worked in a Christian Conference centre for a few years until it closed. I then was a self-employed builder for years.
I went to University when I was 44 and followed a degree with a post grad diploma in Drug & Alcohol studies. I worked in a few places helping people deal with addictions.
My wife and I split up and divorced and I expected to remain single but met someone else and fell in love and we got married and I moved into her house. The nearest church was a URC and we started attending it and joined. I then started lay preacher training again and this time I completed the course. This keeps me busy. I am booked to lead 48 services this year.
I am sure I am where God wants me to be and am happy to be here.
Guest Story 4
Lifelong Christian but was drawn into a church community after a significant bereavement just over a year ago. I loved it, grew spiritually and became closer to Jesus than ever before.
2 months ago, I was turned on and torn apart in the church environment in the worst way. I am heartbroken and too afraid to engage at the moment. I am trying to reconcile how to forgive when no remorse is shown, redefine what care for each other looks like when trust is shattered.
Not sure why I am contributing really. I just feel a massive church shape hole in my life and miss my found friends there. Most of all I miss the one who did this to me.
Guest Story 5
Another lifelong Christian here, although I did not really find Christ until my early 20s. Before that I went to Church occasionally and was always interested in reading bits of the Bible, believed in God but didn't know Jesus as my personal saviour. It only took reading John 1:1-14 to believe and accept Christ into my life.
After that I had many ups and down with my health/career and by the time I reached my early 30s I let my own desperation to find a marriage partner take over so rather than asking God, I took matters into my own hands and chose someone who turned out to be abusive. I had 5 years of hell with them. During that time, my belief stayed strong, but I never went to Church nor read my Bible. He was not a believer, in fact, he came from a Muslim background although he said he hated religion because it caused wars. I eventually had the opportunity to break free and got divorced. I had no family to turn to which made things very hard.
So now in my 40s I was still 'going my own way' you might say, and met another man. We didn't get married but lived together - we're still together now, some 30 years later. He has been very good to and for me, but again he's not a Christian, I think more of an agnostic. During all this time my health got worse.
Funnily enough lockdown was the turning point for me, God is persistent and led me back to Himself via YouTube! I am pretty much housebound now so it was a fitting way to do it! I found myself for the first time really getting into Bible study and journaling, and then the Holy Spirit prompted me to find other believers as it's not good to be on one's own. I asked God and He must've thought, 'ooh easy request' and within a few hours I'd found a great online Church, in fact I now attend two online Churches, one in the UK, the other in the US! I love how the Internet has enabled this.
I do know God's purpose for me, in a way I have known it for a long time, it's always been in the field of the healing ministry. I asked Him how can I do this when housebound? Of course, He is not limited and prayer can reach anywhere, so I am reassured I can still work for His earthly Kingdom. Then there's the call to evangelise. Again, if you're housebound, that doesn't stop you,. So I will try to do God's business here or wherever else He calls me. I just pray He gives me long enough as I feel I am far behind where I should be, and I do mourn those lost years even though I know God can use everything for His glory.
