Two Sides

While emailing with the pastor's wife, she asked me to Google "cardboard testimonies" and then let her know if I'd be willing to participate in this weekend's church services, where they'd be recreating the concept. (You may want to Google it yourself and watch the YouTube video.)

She encouraged me that they could use a testimony such as mine. I Googled...I watched...and thought "sure, why not?"

Then she asked the obvious question that suddenly seemed difficult, "Now we have to decide what to put on yours. I was thinking about the fact that you gave up a very lucrative job to work with underprivileged kids or that you got saved and soon responded to a call to ministry, etc. How would you best describe what God has done in you?"

I read her suggestions...and somehow reflecting on my career didn't seem to answer her real question...how would I best describe what God has done in me? So I nestled into my couch and stared at the blank document before me...and began to type...her ideas...then my ideas...copy...paste...cut...move this here...no that's not right. Wait...that's getting closer. Hmmm...that's starting to speak to my heart...yeah...that's it.

I began to read it out loud...but didn't finish without tears steaming down my face. And that's how I knew...this is in fact what God has done in me.

You see by the time I came to Christ...I had a past...and I was in an emotionally broken present...and quite sure I had derailed His plans for my future.

So this morning I nervously...somberly took the stage...with my cardboard testimony...

Broken...sinful...divorced...wondering if He still had a plan for me.

but a smile began bleeding through...because I know now...what I didn't know then...my cardboard testimony...has two sides. So I flipped it over...

Restored...responding to His call into full time ministry.

Many brave souls shared their heart-wrenching testimonies today...set free from addictions, adultery, abuse and everything in between. We covered a vast variety of hurt and sin...but people didn't remember our differences...instead they remembered what we shared the same...the undeniable intervention of Christ. God's saving grace.

If you've ever wondered...if there's more...if you've ever wondered if there's purpose...if you've ever wondered...if there's a plan for YOU...if you've ever felt as though everything in world has been stripped away and you are at the very bottom...rest assured...Christ will meet you there.

There are two sides to your testimony.