A New life To Share

I never really knew Jesus, I knew of him, but I did not know him personally. My first introduction to Jesus was when I was nine years old and a neighbor took me to their church. I really enjoyed it but did not continue past that point because my family had to move, and I never saw that neighbor again. From that point on church was not a part of my life, nor was Jesus, until many years later.

We all go through dark times in our lives, difficult times, times of struggle and we need something to help us through it. While I have had my share of difficult times, I experienced one of the darkest about 3 years ago. Among many other stressful issues, my daughter and my husband weren’t getting along, and it was effecting our family and my marriage. My family was going through a very bad time, and it looked like it would never end. I felt hopeless and out of control. I became so desperate, and it got to the point where the strife in my house was so bad that I felt like I wanted to die.

Two of my sisters who are very faithful and devoted to Jesus tried to help me by sharing their faith in Jesus with me, and they even gave me books and other reading resources that pointed to Jesus. I glimpsed at them from time to time, but with no real seriousness or devotion. I was so consumed by everything else in my life, the pain, the fighting, the tears and the anger, that I had no interest in knowing Jesus. At times I even got downright nasty with one of my sisters while she was trying to share her faith with me. I finally hit my breaking point and I thought, this is it, what have I become, my life was crumbling around me and I became this weakling. I couldn’t help myself, my marriage or my children from the pain we were all enduring.

I started picking up the materials my sisters had given me and spending more than passing moments reading them. The one I gravitated too the most was, Jesus calling. I found this an easy read for a beginner like myself. This was where my journey with the Lord began. Once I started it got easier and easier, and I began to read Jesus calling daily. I expanded my reading and my praying, as I grew closer and closer to the Lord.

I had spoken with my sister frequently about my new found faith and how I desired to find a Church. I was blessed to find the right church, one where I felt at home. Shortly after starting at my new church I was baptized, and this is where I proclaimed my faith and my hope in Jesus Christ outwardly. That day was an awesome day, and just the beginning of my journey as a Christian. My faith began to strengthen with a peace I had never known before. My personal relationship with Jesus brought me to life and restored hope for me and my family. I had no idea that this life given change within me was going to effect me and others, but it did.

My transformation became visible to others and people from work even noticed a difference in me. In fact one of my coworkers, who knew all about my family issues and the trouble in my marriage had witnessed the most obvious change through our conversations. I used to complain to her about my problems as she listened endlessly, but now instead of complaints I would tell her that I pray for my husband, for our marriage and for my children. She thought I was joking at first because it seemed out of character for me, but after a few weeks she had confronted me and asked me what was going on with me. I responded to her by telling her that I found Jesus and through faith I see things differently now. She kind of looked at me funny but didn’t say much. She remained quiet for a while and then one day she said to me, “Kelly, I want what you have.” So, I gave her Jesus calling and said this is where I started and you can too. I continued to encouraged her, talking with her and praying for her. I decided to invite her to church and she came! One day she expressed to me how sharing my faith with her saved her, because she was in a low dark place, much like the place I was in years past. The pain and hopelessness she was in was leading her to the most desperate place of all, ending her own life, but through faith she too found hope and life in Jesus Christ.

I think about my journey and how finding Jesus has He changed my life, and how my change was able to effect my friend, simply through sharing Him with her. I will forever be grateful for those who shared God’s love with me and for the patience that my sisters demonstrated as they never gave up. Now my life consists of one prayerful day at a time as I grow in my faith. Now all along the way I keep my eyes fixed on Jesus and my aim is to share Him with others.

Kelly Studer is a wife, mother, nurse and child of God!