Before I was Saved
I was born into a single parent home in South Africa. I never knew my biological "real" father until the age of 20 years. My mother and I never went to church, as it was not part of our lifestyle then. We enjoyed a perfectly normal life without any religion or rules.
We were very poor the first few years, but I always understood that it did not defy who I was. Eventually my mother married my new father and he really helped us financially as he was a brilliant man with a big reputation in the government.
At age 9 we moved cities and I quickly had to get use to change. Little did I know how God was preparing me for my future! In my schools I always had trouble with making friends and feeling insecure. I also had a stuttering problem that kept me from interacting freely and socially.
As years went by and I finally went to high school, I reached a low point in my life. At age 14 I tried to take my life by taking strong pain killers and shortly after I had done it I realized I'd made a horrible mistake! Trying to find my mother I became very weak and disorientated. We rushed to hospital and I had to bare the consequences of drinking almost 5 liters of water and getting charcoal to my stomach, just to get all the pills out. I assured the doctor that I would never do anything like that ever again!
(Now if I look back at what I did, I can see how God has taken everything that was bad in my life and turned it to good.)
Later in school I found that I had extreme talent in sport and it became my life. I wanted to make up for all the struggle that I had talking and use it for something that I was great at, Netball. For 5 years in a row I was chosen as part of the best players in our region and one could say I started idolizing my sport. Off course I didn't think so at that time, but it was only after my injuries I started noticing a pattern.
Each year, right before the biggest game of the year, I would get a severe injury that would take months to recover. This happened three years in a row. One could say satan was trying to take me out or one could say God allowed this to happen, because He had a greater plan!
I was clearly at the end of myself for I had nothing to boast about anymore, my sport career was over and doctors warned me never to play again. So I found a new hobby as I entered my last new school. I became friends with the wrong people at that time and soon found myself between drugs and rock 'n roll! This new crowd introduced me to the music of the dark world and often we would head out to the woods and smoke strange things.
At the time I felt happy with the new influence, because these friends were always friendly and they never judged or teased me and I could always trust them!
"Save me and I'm Yours forever"
Until one morning came and my whole life changed! We went to a friends apartment and started smoking normal pipe. After 2 minutes my whole body became weak and paralyzed. Limb after limb went motionless and I felt so sick, so nauseous and so drowsy. I tried to make my way to the bedroom and as I fell on the bed I thought that I was given a rape drug and I expected the worse to happen next! I heard the guys coming into the room and all of a sudden the only thing I could think of was one simple sentence...
"God, save me now and I will follow You the rest of my life!" My lips couldn't move, so I shouted it from my mind, hoping that He would hear the cry of a sinner.
As the one guy touched my arm I knew it was over.
To my surprise he bent down and touched my forehead. After that he shouted to the others, telling them I was in big trouble and needed to go to hospital! Eight hours of hell followed after that. I was completely numb and couldn't go to hospital, because of strong drugs in my blood. I had to wait. It was the longest wait and torture, but He saved me from what I believe was suppose to be my end.
He introduced me to Grace.
When I got Saved
A month after the incident, I received a letter from my biological father. By this time I was so scared of what had happen and I could barely remember the prayer.
In the letter, my father wrote a few things but he wrote something that released shocks through my body. He mentioned in the letter that above all things that he lost and the time that he didn't have as a father, he said the most important things that he wants to tell me is, that I should always love God.
This was such a remarkable time in my life. At that very moment, I remembered the prayer I prayed.
This was the beginning of my new life! Strangely that same week my friend invited me to her church that week and I knew I had to go. The night at church I heard a revelational message about heaven and hell and it literally shook the inside of me and I knew I had the fear of God! I suddenly understood my salvation and the love He had for me! I also found out that my aunt was praying for me for 18 years!
I also read the book, "Heaven is so Real" and after this I repented and gave my life to Christ as a covenant of my love and a promise of my gratitude.
As I entered University I was so excited about reading the Bible and exploring a relationship with God for the first time, that I barely concentrated on my studies. Each day I would sit in class with my books on the table and my Bible on my lap so that the lecturer couldn't notice I was actually reading my Bible. My life changed so radically that I whenever I saw a homeless or injured person, I would run up to them and pray for healing. God ignited a fire inside of me that I never knew existed.
My first year with the Lord was romantic, magical and adventurous. I kept to myself and withdrew from bad influences, because I wanted to know Him and I wanted to give Him all of me. God gave me one year to lay a good foundation and to secure our love. I could trust Him, although there was so many things that I did not yet understand.
The year that followed I felt like I had to go to a new level. I wanted to get practical! I au paired for a wealthy family in Cape Town for a while and this was the perfect opportunity that God used to put my faith to the test!
One day the Muslim man that worked with me had a big problem. He told me that somebody had broken into his shack (house) and stolen few valuables of him. As a believer, I knew that God loves a 'big challenge'. As little as I knew from a practical viewpoint I really wanted to help this man, I just had no idea what to say to him. So I prayed and told God that this was the big moment to prove His glory to this man. God gave me a solution, but I knew this man would laugh at me and literately run away! This was what I told him:
"Go to your home. Take a empty bucket and fill it with water. Then throw the water over your shack until every corner was covered with water. While pouring the water, proclaim loudly that the shack belonged to Jesus Christ and that the water symbolically represented the blood of Jesus and that the house now is the property of Jesus!"
The man did exactly as I instructed and on the Monday morning he came running into my room with excitement! I got such a fright that I chased him out and told him to wait until I came out. Once I met with him, he told me that on Sunday morning when he opened his door, all the stolen particles was returned in perfect condition with a note saying: "I'm sorry, these do not belong to me."
This muslim gave his heart to Jesus!
One week after this I was released from my job and I knew I had completed my task for God!
After this I knew God was only going to take me higher to a new challenge and I was burning with excitement. Yet if I knew what was coming next, I don't think I would've been up for such a challenge...
God directed my feet to Jerusalem, Israel. In my mind I was only going to volunteer in a guest house for one month and have a kind of vacation. For the first time God showed me how to serve. Cleaning a three story house in hot weather conditions was no joke and certainly no vacation! I had no idea why I was in Israel and what I was thinking when i agreed to clean other peoples mess. God knew and He had a plan destined for greatness!
I knew nothing about this strange country. I did not even know that the Jews were the offspring of the Israelites that left Egypt! This was a whole new ball game and I knew God would not keep me Israel for long, because when I walked in the streets, I would tell every Jew of Jesus! This off course was against the law and I had no idea!
Two weeks into my cleaning mission I felt a big need to visit the city. I was allowed to go to the church, but had to be back home before dark. Another adventure and my inside was stirring with joy and excitement. In church I was like a hyperactive bunny! Everything was extreme and exciting! I couldn't sit still and soon noticed I was causing a commotion with my unstable joy.
While worshipping my Lover, Jesus, I noticed a woman a few rows in front of me. She had beautiful long golden brown hair and of all things I couldn't stop staring at her hair! After church I searched for her everywhere, but couldn't find her to give her a compliment. On my way home, I stood at the corner of the street and when I looked to my side the woman was standing right next to me!! Oh what joy!! I immediately introduced myself and noticed her husband was wearing a t-shirt with the South African flag on it. Oh what more joy!! They were South Africans! We drank coffee until dark and I soon remembered that I needed to go home, but I had so much fun at the time and I knew this was from God!
Released into my destiny
In a few hours I fell in love with their testimonies and the work they do for God. They also fell in love with me, because they phoned their youngest son and organized that we would meet. What a glorious night it was, I met the man of my dreams and knew I wanted to marry him. That night before I went to sleep, I went down on my knees and prayed this crazy prayer: "Father, this is the guy! If it is in Your will, let me marry him and let us together tell everyone of the good news. Please may he be my partner on earth. Amen"
After the prayer, I remembered that awful day when I nearly died of drugs. I remembered the prayer and for the first time I realized that I was now willing to give my life to serving God. My prayer came true without me noticing it!
**I can joyfully say that the people mentioned in the story at my high school as the 'wrong crowd', most of them are also saved today!**