Kevin's Testimony

Shared last Sunday during our service...

Some people believe that if you are born into a Christian household you’ve got it made. A godly home provides lots of moral structure as well as bedtime stories of Moses and Noah. But there can be disadvantages too. Grow up in a Christian home and you might take God for granted. Even if you personally accept him into your life (like I did at age 13) there might not be a sense that you every truly got to know Him.

While God had been a part of my whole life, my belief in him was shaken after a family tragedy three years ago. In a moment, an accident claimed the life of my sister-in-law and made my brother a widower just twelve days after his wedding.

She had been like the sister I never had and I was angry at God. I went so far as to even say I didn’t believe in Him. Despite this, I actually attended church more during this time when I “was an atheist.” Even non-believers at work expressed that they doubted I completely lost my faith.

Then one day I was watching a Steven Curtis Chapman interview. He was talking about a new album where he re-recorded old songs. He too had experienced a tragedy and, as he listened to the songs again, asked himself “Do I still believe in these words?”

I took this as a personal challenge, got out my Bible, and decided to read the book from cover to cover for the first time. I wanted to see if I still believed in the words.

After finding a mentor from church to read through the book with me, I started my long journey. Re-reading the Bible and really studying it made God reappear in a way I never thought possible. When I thought I was done with Him, He showed me that He wasn’t finished with me.

My eyes were opened to all the small miracles that surrounded me every day. It reintroduced me to passages I had long ago stopped reading and knit me closer together to my church family.

I still don’t know why my sister had to die and I don’t think I will until I get to Heaven. But during these last few years God has continued to work on my heart. And although the journey will never be done, for the first time ever I truly feel born again.