I had an interesting conversation with someone today. She is a very sweet lady with whom I always enjoy talking. Today, she had the opportunity to hear my life story. I did not intend to tell it to her, but she kept asking questions about my childhood and my life. So, after answering all her questions, it turned out that she got most of my life story summed up in an hour-and-a-half-long conversation.
At the end of my talking with my friend, she was in shock. She said she never would have guessed that I had led the life I did. I come from a broken (and what I call fragmented) home. I had a child at 17, was sexually abused and raped by various people, and married a man I wanted to love, but wasn't sure I loved him at the time. My friend said that I am so confident and sure of myself and religious that she never would have thought all those things had happened to me.
I said to her that's why I am the way I am now, that it was the change that Christ brought into my life that makes it hard to believe. She had made the mistake of assuming I was always religious or had it all together. I explained that without Christ, I would have continued the life I grew up with, and it would be obvious to everyone, because that is the way my life was headed.
When we are open with people and let them know that we are real people who have had the same problems they do, we don't need to worry so much about sharing the gospel with them. They will want to know more when they compare what they hear us share about our past and what they see in us now. There are times that God wants us to specifically voice the good news of the Gospel. Then there times like today when we get the privilege of being a living example of the change that following Christ brings into our lives, obeying Christ's admonition in John 12:32 to lift Him up so that He can draw all men unto Him. How marvelous it feels to not only experience the change Christ has brought to my life to be a visible witness of it by which others can be blessed and saved.
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Michelle I really enjoyed your blog on what a difference Christ has made in your life, it certainly bought a tear to my eye. It was well written and drew me into your story.
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