The turning point in my life came when…
I had a long busy day at work. My feet were sore, my legs were uncomfortable and sore from sitting on the way home and now having to remain standing. All I wanted to do was just put my feet up with a cup of coffee and have a smoke. Where I was working at the time had become exhausting and challenging.
My landlord, Steve came up to me as I came through the gate and offered me an RU brochure and we spoke a long while about things (at that time) I felt horrible and guilty about. Silver lining – I got a cup of tea but no smoke!
I originally felt that if I starting coming to RU, I would set a good example for my partner and his addiction which I felt was bigger than mine. I mean smoking – how is that interfering with anyone? But when I learnt through Steve that smoking was a sin. That was my trigger. I wanted to attend more than anything (all I need was just another sin in my life), but how was I going to get there?
Little did I know that God had plans for me (God loves me) Sister Pam was able to bring me to RU, about a week or two since I started coming (8th Jan 2015) I accepted with understanding and gratefulness the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour. That evening I went from having a common faith to a saving faith.
Everything changed for me that evening, it was like if I compare my life now and then – chalk and cheese, then my life was falling apart like frozen cheese when you grate it and now I have direction and know for certain what I want for myself; sorry – what Jesus wants for me.
My landlord was now my Pastor. I was growing in the Lord everyday, I still am. But, I was still smoking, not as much but smoking is smoking and smoking was a sin in my life. It was meant to be easy to stop, that is what I told myself for years – Wow, was I wrong!
The opportunity to be baptized came up, that is all I wanted for so long but this smoking hung over my head. The Holy Spirit convicted my heart over and over again about smoking. It got to the point where I asked Jesus “how can I be Baptized and still want to smoke?”. I was baptized on the 19th Jan 2015.
The Lord heard my desperate prayers for help. On the 22nd April, the verse “ And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Jn 8:32 became more than a verse I had to memorize in RU. It became a promise from Jesus to me, and He kept His promise because I have not touched a smoke now for 24 Days!
Jesus is my companion now, it says in the Bible that He will not leave you nor forsake me and nobody can stop Him from loving me. With Jesus I have hope, security and peace. My life is not right in some areas but with Jesus we are working on it together.