Monday, January 25, 2010

My "Testimony"

I recently looked up online how to write a personal testimony. One website gave three steps to follow, they were around the lines of how you use to live, what caused you to change, and how you live your changed life now. I dove deep into the depths of my memory chasm to recall the life I use to live. It was a pretty good life--in general.
At a young age I was almost trained to do well, in everything. I had to be number one or if that failed, I had to be second 'cause first was taken, and later top five was completely fine with me. Then one day I just gave up, everything. Straight A's were nothing to me. They weren't hard to get and I didn't gain much from receiving them. They were just A's. My life before looked pretty good. I did everything I was asked to do; get A's. Then I decided to stop. My grades slightly suffered, but life was still life.
I ended up moving to a private "christian" school my junior year in high school, and I received the highest G.P.A. in all my academic career, a 4.25. I had nothing else to focus on, nothing else to do. So I just did my homework and studied for tests; the many things one can attain without friends.
And today...I am what I am. There are times when I am a small piece of yesterday, and there are days when I am nothing like the day before. The life I live today is seriously just for today. Basically, I don't see myself with a testimony. I'm sure I have one, as everyone does. But I'm still constantly changing and developing into I don't even know what. I feel as though my testimony changes daily.
But, God has changed my life. Before, although to the standard of many, I did extremely well in school and in all the extra-curricular activities I participated in. I was the well rounded daughter of a minister. I played sports, joined pageants and talent competitions, was "popular", received good grades--I mean my life was good. But there was no point to it. Although I had so much, inside I had nothing. I was empty and different.
John Piper, C.S. Lewis, and A.W. Tozer--to name a few--have all written on the inner desires of a human. Within each person lies a deep yearning for The Creator...to find The Creator and to know Him. Humans have an innate, intrinsic desire for God.
I was taught that in life I will find very few friends--if any. I didn't believe people who would tell me such things, I always figured I would have a best friend or a couple of best friends who would stick through it with me forever. Until I grew up...until I experienced "friends" over and over and over again...until now... Until now there are moments when I, secretly inside, wait around for a long lasting group of friends--like the t.v. show.
Now, I'm not completely cynical or skeptical towards people with great friendships or am I in disbelief that I, myself, have a true friend ( I have like five).
But I strongly desire a friend with no cruel or horrid intentions towards me. I want to be loved and cherished.
I am much more than bubbly...heels...fashion..."pretty"...talkative... I am much, much more than what anyone knows.
My testimony today deals with life--my life-- and how much more it is because God loves me. I am thankful, grateful, for all the people that walk through my life, even for a moment. But my life does not revolve around my friends or my achievements. My life is not my own for I was bought with a price.
God changed me, and in doing so He revealed Himself to me. When I think I'm walking alone, I'm not. When I desire that one friend, when I need to fill that one part of me I know He's that friend and I know He completes.