(Author's testimony!)

age 20 Alison's testimony

(I changed one name to protect the innocent :-) Anyway, the story's still true so read on.)

Looking back over the last few years of my life, I can see God's providence, and how He used people and circumstances during that time to draw me closer to a relationship with Him.

The first event of significant importance took place during my sophomore year in high school. I was taking World History and my teacher for the class, Mr. James, was a Christian. Now this was a public high school, God was definitely not welcome within these walls. Despite that, Mr. James announced one class period that we would be learning about the Hebrew exodus as part of ancient Egyptian history, and that we could bring in a Bible for extra credit, as we would be using the Bible as a historical document. Being a good honors student, and fully understanding Mr. James reputation as teaching rather difficult courses, I wanted my extra credit. I looked all over the house for a Bible, and managed to find one with some difficulty.

The next day in class, Mr. James began telling us about the incredible historical accuracy of the Bible, and that it contained accounts of murder, war, rape, betrayal, and more. As he began to teach the lesson, he talked about the Hebrew God, YAHWEH, and how the Hebrews had prayed to their God for deliverance from slavery in Egypt. God answered their prayers through Moses, and YAHWEH displayed his power over the Egyptian gods through the plagues that effected the Egyptians, but not the Hebrew people.

Class discussion that day had really grabbed my attention, and I began to read the Bible on my own. Although there were not many strong Christian influences in my life at this point, God continued to work in my life.

I still remember, very clearly, a dream that I had not long after I started to read the Bible: I was outside a house where my family used to live in New York, and I was cutting down extremely large trees into firewood. I had just chopped down a tree, and I was leaning on my axe to rest. I was about to begin to chop the log into smaller pieces, when I looked up at the sky. There I saw a fiery cross in the sky, which then transformed before my eyes into the face of Jesus. His face was a kind, gentle, loving face, and suddenly I became very calm. But what did all this mean? I looked more closely and noticed that Jesus was pointing to a hill. I knew that He wanted me to climb up the hill, but it was too steep, and I could not see what was at the top. He pointed again. I finally reasoned that since He was supposed to love everyone, no harm would come to me by obeying Him, so I started up the hill. Once I reached the top of the hill, I found my friends all holding hands in a circle praying. As soon as they saw me, they all looked up at me and began to clap. This was an extremely powerful dream, and I don't think I can fully communicate how much so in words. I can tell you however, that God was orchestrating a major turning point in my life. This dream really got me thinking. I asked a friend of mine what she thought the dream meant, and she thought it signified Jesus calling me to follow Him. At this point in my life, I wasn't so sure.
But then something else happened that sent me running straight into the arms of God. One evening, during Spring Break, a few friends and I went off to the beach. (The thing to do in Florida) I had been to the beach many times before at night, but something this time was different. I'm not sure what exactly happened that night. Some would say that it was a case of spiritual warfare, others would simply call it a panic attack. I'm not sure which I would call it, but I had never in my life experienced such intense fear. My friend was convinced that this was definitely a demonic influence, and that the only way to be "safe" was to profess belief in Jesus Christ. At this point, I barely knew who He was, and exactly what I was supposed to do was beyond me. Over the next day or two she shared with me God's plan of salvation. I understood the content of that plan, but, it wouldn't be until later that I would fully understand the significance of the decision I was about to make. In the middle of our break, I went to her church. I couldn't remember the last time I had been in church, and throughout the entire service, I had a very uneasy, uncomfortable feeling in my stomach.

I was fifteen years old at this point. After the service, we went and talked with the pastor's wife, who took us into a small room, and she explained how to be saved. She asked me more than once if I was sure, if I understood the significance of what I was about to pray, and she told me that this was something not to be taken lightly. I said I understood, and so she prayed a simple prayer which I repeated. Once I said Amen, I felt like a tremendous weight was lifted off of me.

After that, God totally changed me. I could see God's Hand in everything, I had a fresh perspective on life.

I began reading the Bible regularly, and praying, because of that, I grew, and am still growing tremendously spiritually.

"Therefore is anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come" II Corinthians 5:17.

The depth of God's love is incredible, and even now, after almost five years, I do not understand it fully.

" For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:38-39 Never forget God's love for you; He sent Jesus to die for you.

 

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