| Walking in the Light | | Print | |
| December 17, 2007 | |
 Thinking back about how I became a Christian brings up a mixture of feelings. My conversion wasn\'t a two-week or even a one-month endeavor. It took years for my heart to soften to the point where I could truly let my guard down, be honest about who I was and become a true disciple of Jesus Christ. It started in 1999. I was a single mother, and my son and I were attending a Baptist church in Newport Beach. I became friends with a man at that church named Bruce Graham. We shared an enthusiasm to make a difference in the world by spiritually helping people one person at a time. Bruce went looking for a home to buy in Irvine and ended up buying a house across the street from Bruce Williams, an evangelist in this church. After Bruce Williams invited Bruce G. to a service, they studied the Bible together; in time, Bruce Graham was baptized into Christ and became a member of this church. My friend repeatedly invited me to his new church, telling me that it offered exactly what he and I had been looking for -- the opportunity to make a difference in people\'s lives by living a true life for Christ. I learned that it was part of an international fellowship of churches with over 100,000 members and even a congregation in my mom\'s country of origin, El Salvador. I told my friend a few times that I would go to church with him, but always flaked out. I was in the habit of telling people what I thought they wanted to hear. I was a deceitful, unreliable person -- who happen to be leading a ministry for teen girls at the Baptist church and teaching at a Baptist school. In August 1999, Bruce G. invited me to a birthday party aboard his yacht. A woman from the church asked me if I had ever studied the Bible. \Of course,\ I answered. But later that week we got together and she helped me to apply God\'s Word to my heart. She asked me to analyze how my life and the Scriptures matched up -- and to my surprise, it was not even close! I realized that I didn\'t even know the Bible that well. I immediately reverted to the person that told people what I thought would be easiest for them to hear. The women asked me what I thought about how different my life was when compared to the way God wanted me to live, as outlined in the Bible. I answered that I could make a few changes ... I could stop swearing and drinking more than I should, and I could repent of my anger. Unfortunately, I was not honest about all of the sin in my life. I did want to live differently and to allow Jesus to be Lord of my entire life so I got baptized on Sept. 19, 1999 and became a member of the church. However, I continued to live as a fake Christian for another two years -- until all that I was covering up came out into the open. I should have heeded Jesus\' words in Luke 12:2-3: \There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.\ On Feb. 8, 2001, a member of the church named D.J. discovered my deceit by stringing together all of my stories and asking me about the inconsistencies. (I love discipleship). That happened at a midweek devotional, and later that evening Bruce Williams preached out of the book of Romans. After his lesson, I thought, \Do I run and hide, or do I face the music and stop being a Pharisee?\ I made my decision and chose to come forward with all of my lies and fears. The next 32 days were challenging as I faced the ugliest parts of myself -- parts that I had sworn to never to let go of and to never share with anyone. However, God had different plans. Even though it was the hardest thing I have ever done, God gave me the courage and the strength to get real and open with my brothers and sisters in Christ! To this day, I don\'t regret any part of my full conversion to true Christianity. I have become more of a godly woman than I ever thought possible. I live a free life -- free from the bondage of sin (including deceitfullness), free from the grip of Satan and free from the control of the world. I love the life that God has blessed me with and who I have become. And, that Christian brother who called me out of my sin in 2001 married me in 2006! I think back sometimes and wonder what my life would have been like if I had chosen to run and hide on that day in February instead of opening my heart. I praise God that He worked through others to give me the courage to face the darkest places of my life so that I could be forgiven and made whole. *If you would like to learn more about God\'s plan for your life or begin attending a local church, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it *If you are a member of the Los Angeles Church of Christ and would like to share your testimony online, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for details. |