I can still remember the day I received Christ into my life.  I was 8 years old, and I was at a children’s camp sponsored by Dudley Baptist Church in Dublin, GA.  My youth pastor, Al Haywood, lead a nightly Bible study with the guys in my room.  I was sitting on the top bunk when Pastor Al asked if there were any of us that wanted to receive Christ into our lives.  He talked about John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  So right there on my bunk, I prayed a prayer of faith to receive Jesus Christ as my savior and Lord!  The Bible says in Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Since receiving Christ, I know that God has been working mightily in my life.   

There have been several trials in my life that the Lord has used to draw me closer to Him.  In 2006, during my sophomore year at the University of Georgia, my father passed away from a liver disease.  It was a very challenging time for me and my family.  Through my dad’s death, God showed me that He is a big God and that I need to confidently trust in Him.  I don’t fully understand or completely comprehend why He allows certain things to happen in our lives, but I do know that God is sovereign and knows what is best for us all!  My dad is with the Lord now, because of his faith, and he is no longer suffering with the disease that took his life.  Two short months after my dad died, my grandmother (dad’s mom) passed away.  I was deeply saddened, but this time I didn’t blame God or ask why.  I just knew that the Lord would use this for my good and for His glory.  Romans 8:28 says, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”  Through these trials in my family’s life, God began to bring reconciliation and restoration to us.

We were approaching the one year date of my dad’s death when we got the sad news that my grandfather (mom’s dad) had passed away.  We experienced three deaths in our family in just one year. It was an extremely difficult time for me and my family.  Because of challenges we faced with losing my dad and grandmother, we were more prepared to be an encouragement to my mom during the loss of her dad.  It was neat to see how God used all of this to bring unity to our family and healing to our hearts.  We are now experiencing the love and trust that families should have with each other and it has been amazing.  Today a lot of my family is here at Sanford Stadium cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs and watching me punt a football.  It is so awesome to see God work in our lives as we walk with Him.  We truly serve an awesome God!

 
Learn more about a relationship with Christ and how to live in Christ.