Personal Testimony

We have  MOPS retreat tomorrow for the leaders of next year.  We will be having personal testimony time during the day.  They gave us a sheet with ideas and questions to get us thinking and boy did I do some thinking.  I wrote it out so that I can say clearly what my thoughts are.  Here is my testimony.

Personal Testimony 

My experience as a Christian is that I have been a Lutheran my entire life.  I was baptized as an infant and have been active in the church since birth.  I know that we all have different experiences in our faith lives and  I’m so thankful that we have a group filled with respect and love for one another to be able to listen to each other’s testimonies and know that the Holy Spirit is present in all of us.  

Because I was baptized as an infant, I don’t know a life apart from knowing Christ.  As Lutheran’s we believe that we are born into a sinful world and are in need of forgiveness no matter our age.  I’m so thankful my parents brought me to the waters of baptism so that I could experience God’s promises of forgiveness and grace everyday of my life. 

Because my life of faith has been lifelong and as a Lutheran I cannot point to a particular moment when I chose Christ.  Rather, I remember everyday the moment of my baptism when Christ chose me.  I believe that we are both saint and sinner everyday.  Through the waters of baptism and the grace and forgiveness of Christ I am changed and renewed everyday of my life, not just once.  I am continually awed by the fact that Christ chooses me despite my sinfulness, and everyday in the promise of my baptism, I am called to be a new creation in Christ. 

Most recently God has been reminding me that daily time spent in the Word and prayer is necessary.  We are a culture that forgets that we have “plenty”.  I have spent a lot of my time as a mother wondering if there was something else more that I was to be doing.  What calling and what vocation did God have in store for me?  It most recently has been answered in a very short part time job as the cross-country coach this fall at the high school.  More importantly it has been answered in my son’s newest way to get my attention.  He looks at me, raises his arm, and says “hand”.  He takes my hand and leads me to whatever he wants to show me.  Toys, games, where he wants me to sit to watch him.  The life of a parent is ups and downs, but God reminds me that it is “plenty” to have the love of my family.