My spiritual life has been a journey, a series of lots of steps.  It began attending a VBS when I was 5 years old.  This is the  place where I remember hearing for the first time about a God who loved me and wanted rescue me.  I raised my hand and agreed enthusiastically with the rest of the class that I wanted to go to heaven and I wanted Jesus to come into my heart.

It was a step that was only possible because God used our neighbors who loved Him and wanted to make sure I had a chance to know Him too.   That first step was like the dark green tiny little buds that begin to form on the tree.  (At Grace we call this the point of conviction, or HOME PLATE.)

Over the next several years I remember attending church a handful of times with my grandparents who faithfully attended and served in church.  I went to Sunday School classes and learned bits of Bible stories told with the aid of a flannelgraph board and figures, which by the way I thought were very cool!  It was another step.  Like the dark green buds that begin to lighten and grow. (At Grace we call this the MISSION base path, where I learned that God loved me and wanted to have a relationship with me.)

When I was 12 another significant event took place while I was attending a church camp, for the first and only time in my life.  (Again invited by the same neighbors.)  My sweet cabin counselor took the time to talk to me personally and find out where I was in my relationship with Christ.  I wasn’t really sure, but I wanted to be!  So on that day I kneeled and prayed to make Jesus the Lord of my life.  God again used another person to challenge me to take this important step. Like the light green buds that have formed petals inside and the petals are beginning to separate from one another.  (At Grace we call this the point of conversion, when I entrusted my life to Christ and was on FIRST BASE.)

From that time on I did have a hunger to grow.  I wanted to be identified as a Christian and be with other Christians.  I wanted to go to church and learn about God.  I couldn’t drive, and didn’t have the control over my schedule, but God provided adults who cared about my spiritual life enough to take me with them to church.  They modeled faith to me.  It was a another step. (At Grace this is the basepath of MATURITY, where I learned about God and His will for my life.)

Years passed through High School, College, marriage, children, all of which had successful and fantastic times as well as difficult and challenging times.  Like anyone else I learned that the more trouble I experienced the more I needed God and clung to Him.  The more I allowed Him to control me.  The more I wanted to praise Him.  The more I wanted to serve Him.  More steps.  Backward.  Forward. Baby steps.  Giant steps.  God used all of them to grow me and prepare me.

Somewhere around 2000 I came to a point where the world was loosing it’s appeal and my indebtedness and gratitude to the Lord were increasing.  I was faced with a decision, do a pursue a more lucrative career?  Or do I leave all of that behind?  The Lord’s work continued and I honestly could not, not serve Him anymore and dropped everything else I was doing to serve Him full time.  It was a step.  It looked like those fresh new blossoms just opening first one here and another there.  (At Grace we call this “dropping our nets” and following Christ, or rounding SECOND BASE to step unto the path of MINISTRY.)

Within a couple of years from there I realized that I couldn’t not share my faith in a Magnificent God with others.  It looks like that full bloom of white flowers.  (At Grace we call this the base path of MULTIPLICATION.)

There are days of utter failure on my part.  Selfishness.  Sinful attitudes.  I am still on a journey.  God is still working on me.  You see He began the work a whole bunch of years ago.  But He is faithful, and He continues to work, I continue to grow from mistakes and from hard life experiences.  I continue to see Him work on me.

It’s a privilege to love Him, to be a witness of His work, to be a worker for His Kingdom, and to be one of His voices.

That’s my story as of today.  Tomorrow there will be a fresh new blossom that opens, because God’s work will continue until Jesus and I are face to face. I’m trusting in His promise!

What’s your story? I’d love to hear about it.