My Testimony - Part Five

Tell me, what mother would want their teenage daughter to move away? Now that I'm a mom, I can understand the pain this would have caused. However, I knew where God wanted me to be and I knew of no other place than in Saskatoon. I'm not saying that there was none, I'm just saying that I didn't know of any. My aunt and uncle, who were new members of this church, had offered me a place to live if I wanted it.

My mother was not at all happy. It didn't matter that I was significantly different when I came home. She couldn't understand why I would not just go to a church in Melville and live at home. She couldn't understand why I would want to radically change my lifestyle. And the thought of her daughter moving away overshadowed any improvement she saw in me.

So I waited. And prayed. I went back to school and back to volleyball; I had nothing else to do.

I will never forget the phone call one Friday in November, approximately one month after I was baptized. I was called to the office while at school and told that my mom had phoned and to call her back. I was a little concerned because I did not remember my mom ever calling the school before. When I called her back, the first thing she said to me was, "How would you like to go to Colonsay this weekend?" Somehow I knew she didn't just mean for a visit, so I asked, "You mean, to live?" And she said, "Yes." I said, "Yes, I do want to go," so she told me to clean out my locker and bring everything of mine home from school.

Just like that. Miracle number three.

To this day, my mom can't explain what happened to her. All I know is that one day she was adamant I wasn't going anywhere, and the next she was calling me at the school asking me if I wanted to go and to clean out my locker.

I left the school that day without telling a soul that I wasn't coming back. I don't remember even having any kind of nostalgia as I was leaving. My heart was singing. God had answered my prayer, and in a very short time.

I went home and packed my bags. We didn't get away until Sunday afternoon, but on Sunday night I walked into church and miracle number four happened.

Now my friends, the reason I believe so strongly in the bible and this truth is because I obeyed the scripture and, in turn, what the scripture said would happen did happen.

Then Peter said unto them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off. Even as many as the Lord our God shall call."

Acts 2:38, 39

I had repented and was baptized in the name of Jesus Christ one month prior. I obeyed the bible. And the bible said that, "ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." I received the promise - just like the bible said I would.

That Sunday night, the second time I had ever been to a Pentecostal church, I received the gift of the Holy Ghost. The reason I knew I had received it was because the bible speaks very clearly that the sign of it shall be that you will speak in another tongue. When your tongue is speaking a language that you have not previously learned and you can tell you are not in control of - well let's just say, there's nothing like it. It is truly a supernatural experience from God, meant to confirm that he has given you His Holy Ghost. And once received, it is truly undeniable.

And my life changed dramatically. My natural tendency to worry did not leave overnight, but what did come was true peace. And my anxiety began to improve and change in way that no counsellor could ever help me change. I had hope like never before.

For a very short time I lived with my aunt and uncle and went to church. It was only a short time because God provided miracle number five: My dad got a job at the Potash Mine in Colonsay and moved there within a few short weeks. When God answers a prayer, He answers it just right. God does not desire families to be split apart, however, He does require Himself to be put first in our lives. Since I did put Him first and was willing to leave my parents to do so, He brought them to me. How cool is that?

My mom is now a true advocate for our church. She does not attend herself, but she has always said that if she ever decides to give her life to God that she knows where she would go. My dad has always remained a friend of our church.

And God, gracious and wonderful God, has been truly merciful to my family.

I can never give Him thanks enough.