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How I became a Christian

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Posted by: FilledWithHisGlory

Hi everyone. Before I tell you exactly how I became a Christian, I thought it might be nice to introduce myself.

My name is Brandi, I'm 17 years old from Ontario, Canada. I attend Eastwood Collegiate Institute in Kitchener and am in Grades 10, 11, and 12. I have two younger brothers, Ryan, 13, and Dustin, 11. For the past three years, I have been involved with the Children's Aid, because my mother and I do not get along very well. Praise the Lord though that we are finally speaking to each other. I am a Sunday School helper in my Sunday morning church, Elevation, headed up by Pastor Brandon, and I attend Elevation's Monday night service The Embassy, also headed up by Pastor Brandon. (www.the-embassy*****)

Now, to start off. I was baptized Catholic 17 months after I was born. Growing up, I did not have the best of a life. In third grade, my marks began going down hill because I had just been moved to a new school. I did not make many friends in my 5 years at St. Timothy's.
When I entered high school, some horrible things began to happen to me. I went to the movies one afternoon and I decided I wanted to go visit some friends in my old neighbourhood. Well, I was 14 back then and didn't understand what r a p e was. A 43 year old man took advantage of me. When I told the police, I told them that I had be r a p e d. He only did unspeakable things to me, but enough to make both me and my mother hysterical for weeks. In the end, I ended up being charged for public mischief because of what I called it. He got away with it. Two weeks later, I was taken by Family and Children's Services and I haven't been home since. One night, after AWOLing from my Foster Home to Hamilton, I was taken by cab to Prestonview, a group home in Cambridge. 10 hours later, I was gone. I ended up being a missing person for four days (I think I know now where my friend got it from). One night, the police began to ask me questions. I told them lies about who I was. They were about to let me go, when my mom showed up. I got arrested that night with 7 breaches of probation and 1 obstruct police. I ended up in a Youth Jail called Casatta, that everyone believed to be Kiddie Camp. There was one staff there that became sort of like my best friend.
We'll call her "Mandi."
Well, secretly, I knew this wasn't the best life for me, but I wouldn't dare tell anyone but Mandi. Mandi was a Christian, still is, and I just saw her again tonight. I told her about what I wanted, and that was to know Christ. When I discovered that she was a Christian, she told me about this awesome church held at a University. (This church is The Embassy). She wanted to take me, but I ended up being transferred to Anchor House, another Youth Jail a couple days later. Anchor House is a jail with all Christian staff and I began to think that maybe God was doing this to let me know that He wanted me to be with Him. Wasn't I surprised when I saw Mandi one day at Anchor House. She had just had an interview, AND, she got the job.
One night, Mandi came by, it was Monday December 17, 2001. She took me to the last service of Embassy for the year. It was a Christmas special. Through the worship songs and how everyone was so in love with Jesus, it was then that I decided that I wanted to be a Christian too. On the way back, Mandi and I prayed in her car and from then on, I loved Christ. But there's more.....

Unfortunetly, things began to go downhill again as I started to stray away from Christ. I was assaulting people, attempting suicide, and ending up back in jail, where I kept finding Christ again and brought people to Him. It was then I thought that maybe that was where God wanted me, but then I realized that it wasn't the right way to preach. Although I was bringing people to Him, I was still disobeying His word.


Finally, in February, 2003, Pastor Brandon removed me from Embassy temporarily because of the way I was acting. I didn't think it was fair. I was still allowed to attend Elevation, but Elevation wasn't doing any wonders for my relationship with God. It was failing. I was grasping on to thread, to put it that way. In May and June of 2003, I made a big mistake. I lost my virginity, a sacred gift from God. Two days after my second time, I said "Screw Christianity, it's not my thing." I immediately regretted that. Three days later after long, agonizing pain, I asked Christ back into my heart.The Pastor and a couple other people on leadership began to play with my mind back in June, July and August of 2003, trying to make their minds up on whether I could come back to Embassy.

Monday September 15, 2003 was my first night back, and I fell back in love with God, and have felt His presence ever since. I know He will never leave me, nor shall I ever leave Him. He hasn't given up on me, why should I give up on Him?

I wrote a prayer in the front of my Bible on the way back from church tonight. I don't have it in front of me, but when I do, I'll post it on here. I was inspired to write it after a song we sang tonight, "Take All Of Me".


Jesus, I love you so much. Thank you for believing I am worth enough to die for and to give Your unfailing love to.

Amen.

And this is how I became a Christian.....

Brandi


Posted by: FilledWithHisGlory

I hope that this will inspire struggling Christians to find Christ again.


Brandi


Posted by: MASZOO

Thank you so very much for sharing this.
I pray that it blesses others like it blessed me.