Excuse me, let me testify for a moment...
Originally published on tiffanyismyname.com 25 August 2018
Be inspired for yourself. Check out the sermon that changed my heart posture.
As soon as I heard these words come out of Pastor Mike Todd’s mouth, I was dumbstruck. I've been sitting with this for at least a week now and I’ve been bursting to share my joy with you all. The joy of knowing and receiving your purpose. For years I equated purpose with a special skill. Sure, I’ve been blessed with specialized skills but will God really care how many fliers I've created in Adobe InDesign? Highly doubt it...BUT he will care how I treated people during my time here and how I chose to use my skills to be his hands and feet on this earth.
"The Grace Like a Flood" series has changed my perspective on life in a way that is so freeing! It's allowed me to feel even more comfortable in how I navigate through this world as a human being and Christian. Many don't know this but I was "saved" at the age of 17 at Christian Camp. Once I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit came over me and I was speaking in tongues and jumping around (much of which I blacked out for). It was a wonderful time in my life; however, I could never seem to rectify the teachings of the Church (both of the Catholic school I attended and the Pentecostal church I grew up in) with my own moral beliefs - like a woman’s right to choose or believing that love is love no matter the gender. I was always of the belief that it was up to God to judge – not me. I grew leery of those that represented God. The way that fear was evoked to keep us in line seemed so against the love that Jesus exhibited over and over in the Bible. I didn't understand why my church wasn't doing more of God's work like feeding the homeless...I had questions about where the rally money was going...I had questions about why “such and such” seemed so Unchristian-like outside of Church. When it came down to it, I didn't want to be in a place with that energy and chose to fellowship with myself.
I realize now that I cheated myself out of being so much closer with God for the wrong reasons. I never turned my back on God, and the Holy Spirit has always resided in me, but I certainly turned away from the Church and organized religion. Since then, I've found messengers of God, like Pastor Mike Todd and Pastor Stephen Furtick, who have restored my faith in the Church and have brought me closer to my Redeemer. I feel like God's been saying "I've been waiting on you." Right now, I’m so ready to serve and get baptized – just to seal the deal.
I have to give credit where credit is due. When my partner came into my life, he brought back saying grace before a meal and praying in general. I would always count on him to lead us in prayer because he was like a perfected wordsmith when it came to talking to God. I was good with words on paper but never felt like I could put them together cleverly enough to honor God and without stumbling over them. After putting my faith in the Holy Spirit to give me the words, I happily say any and all prayers to get us through. He recently bought me a Bible that incorporates two things I love - reading the Word and coloring. From the Coffee Bean in Brentwood to the coffee shops in Bali, I’m not afraid to bust out my Bible and colored pencils. I've made a vow to be a proper representative of Jesus’ love, seek out fellowship, and do good works. May you be inspired to do the same!