Early Life & Foundation
I grew up Southern Baptist with my mom and attended my great-uncle’s Pentecostal church in the summers. God kept me focused on listening to His voice and learning from His Word. One thing that always stood out to me was how sin separated us from God. Every church I attended always seemed to stress this point and say Jesus was the remedy, but there felt like a disconnect. I had accepted Jesus in my heart and did what people call “rededicate” my life to Him several times, but I still found myself sinning and separated again. Since everyone taught the reason, of course, was us being human, I focused more on learning and growing as much as I could.
Searching for More
Fast forward to 2016. Most of the churches in my area did away with the traditional Sunday school I wanted for myself and my children. It was replaced with what’s called “small groups,” where someone shares a scripture or Bible account, a thought to go with it, and then a quick prayer. There wasn’t a lot of teaching or deep studies and nothing solid to satiate the appetite for the Word that started to grow in me.
I began attending multiple services on Sunday (which were all repeats of each other), helping with some services, and attentively listening in the others. I attended a small group and co-led another. I kept trying to practice the things God showed me in His Word.
Growing & Listening
By 2017, I had a solid practice of going to church and reading my Bible. I wanted to follow God, and I actively listened for His direction. Little by little, He would show me the adjustments I needed to make: “Stop watching this,” “Don’t speak like that,” “That shirt’s too low,” etc. I still have my notebook from 2017. Early in the year, my prayer requests focused on listening to God and continued growth.
Around Easter, I was invited to attend a Church of God Easter play. That’s where the notes shift. Over and over in the notebook after this point, my prayers, points from the message, and my devotions led back to these words: REPENT. OBEY. TRUST GOD.
Conviction & Realization
God began to show me what a godly home looked like. What the Bible taught and what I had seen and been taught up to this point didn’t really align. I was confused.
Then I was invited to a Church of God camp meeting in July, where a pastor from West Virginia had the message. He preached harder than I had ever heard. His message focused on Christian homes and how God designed them. I remember leaving that service knowing God was showing me something. The notes and actions in my notebook became deeper.
Still Seeking
By the fall, we switched out of the megachurch over to a Pentecostal church. They at least taught repentance and backsliding. Then, in mid-October, I attended a women’s conference. There was a heavy focus on the belt of truth (the Word of God) and how it holds everything together. I had in my notes: sanctification.
On the last day of the conference, everyone was getting “baptized by the Spirit,” which in Pentecostal terms means receiving the gift of tongues. No matter how many times this lady hit me on the head, it wasn’t happening. The lady and I ultimately landed on the need for me to pray about it.
I left in tears and spent the ride home begging God to fill me. I remembered sin being the dividing factor and asked Him what I needed to do to have more of Him. He plainly told me, “Give up your sin.” All I could think at that point was, “Which one?”
Truth Revealed
In mid-November, by what can only be described as a miracle, I was invited to a Manassas Church of God revival where God answered my question. It wasn’t two or three bullet points into the message before, for the first time in my life, I heard: “God has power to help you overcome sin.” This didn’t imply one-it implied all.
Between that night and the following, all the pieces came together. I went down and spoke with the pastor’s wife. I told her that up to that point I thought I was saved, but after hearing the message, I wasn’t so sure. She said, “Well, if you have sin in your life now, then you aren’t saved.”
I prayed and asked for repentance and never looked back. God made His Word come more alive to me. I learned that sanctification was the power of God I was missing. This divine power made the difference.
Direction & Confirmation
In December, I began praying for God to show me if this was where He wanted me to stay, and if it was, for it to be made clear. He told me to stand still. He showed me through Bible studies with saints, conversations, and even skeptics that this was where He wanted me and my girls.
My one request from Him at the time was for Him to show Rylee-my then 12-year-old. She was at such a critical age. I didn’t want to fight her to go like I had at other churches.
He answered my prayer. Not only did God give Rylee a desire to come to church with me, He gave her a desire to serve Him too. He opened her eyes. By May of 2018, she was saved.
God’s Faithfulness
I could go on and on about how good and faithful God has been to us and what He’s done over the last seven years. I could share how He worked out a housing situation, provided me with a remote job before COVID, or how He answered prayer for me to have Rosalie more often. I could share how He answered prayer to show her what’s right as she gets older.
He truly has been so good to us.