Wednesday, October 3, 2012

David's Testimony

I grew up the youngest of seven children in a small town in Point Clear, AL. I was an adventurous kid that spent most of his time climbing trees, building forts and weapons, roaming the beaches of Mobile Bay, and battling one of my four older brothers. We all went to church on Sundays and then Sunday school, but I can’t say I ever had the slightest care for what the preacher was talking about.

It wasn’t until middle school that someone first sat down with me and wanted to talk to me about Jesus. I had won a short story contest and went up to a Young Writers conference with my English teacher. During the trip he asked me about my faith, told me about Christ, and asked me if he could pray for me, which I was open to. He prayed and I said “Yea God, if you’re real, show me. Just reach out to me at some time.” I was serious. Nothing happened for a couple of years. I kept on being a wild child and getting into whatever mischief I could find.
Here I will edit out the meat of the story, but suffice it to say that in addition to being a stuntman, I also had a strange introverted, highly imaginative, mystic streak to me from childhood. Looking back I had a fairly murky grasp on reality, all of which led me into some dabbling in the occult. After one experience in particular, I was cast into a realm of very disturbing spiritual warfare which seemed to have no end. At this point the powers of darkness were very real to me but I still had no notion of the benevolent God of the universe. I look back on this period as a turning point that I’m very great full for. The curtains were drawn back and I got to see that the spiritual world is every bit as real as the one I daily walk in. God has put many people in my path that have had similar spiritual battles and needed someone to talk to that didn’t think they were crazy; so, God can certainly use all things for his purposes.
Saved by grace! I was about to enter High school and the Young Life leader there invited me to a Christian retreat. I made fun of him, but my Mom saw to it that I went. Over a few days I listened to a man speak from the word on the basic gospel message. It wasn't a message that God was going to fix all of my problems or make my life wonderful or easy, but that I was a separated from the one true living God by my sin. This couldn't be made right by my own works, but only by accepting Christ who paid the price of my sins on the cross. The Holy Spirit moved in me and revealed to me that this was truth. I can only see it as a supernatural experience that allowed me to break outside of my own limited reason and humbly receive grace from the Creator of all things. I've always looked back on this moment with great wonder as to how this transformation could happen to me of all people. The only answer that I can come up with is that way back when I first prayed for God to reveal himself to me, I meant it. “Knock and the door shall be opened.” I believe that this is the most powerful thing that we can do on this brief earthly journey, just reach out to God. He knew that I needed this experience to open my eyes. No one could have explained it to me and no amount of studying world religions and philosophy could be sufficient to what was freely given. It’s fair to say that God has been at the center of my life ever since.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what [is] that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2

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