This is the second testimony in a new series of writings called Testimony Tuesday. You can find the series introductory article along with the complete list of available testimonies here. The following testimony was originally shared on Tuesday 1 September 2015 but is backdated here to 15 September to align chronologically with the writing series. Names have been changed to protect the anonymity of the individuals involved. This testimony is a classic example of where the power of our stories as testimonies sometimes helps to communicate God’s love and His nature to individuals seeking Him but have yet to experience a living relationship with our Heavenly Father. It was shared by my friend who had gone on a ski trip a few weeks earlier. Whilst she barely knew anyone, it was still a great opportunity to meet other people who were not from church and instead from different walks of life.
There was this girl Jill who shared that it was her first time seeing snow and because of this, she did not know how to ski. I was also tired so both of us sat down in the cafe area. When I am tired I usually want to be quiet so I lay down on the seat which prompted the waitress to ask if I was feeling ok. I felt bad so I sat up and started talking with Jill. Earlier on that day, she had already told the group that she was going to pray and that we could start breakfast without her. As a result of that brief comment, I thought for a second that she wa so committed and “holy” – lol.
So I started the conversation by asking, “Which church do you go to?” Jill’s response surprised me: “I’m not a Christian” and I responded by saying that I was sorry and had thought she was because of her desire to pray earlier on. I asked, “So what were you praying for?” Then I started sharing about God and my own journey with God which had started four years earlier. I not only shared my own testimony but I also shared other friends’ testimonies. Both of us got really deep into the conversation; she asked more questions and I shared even more about what I do in life group and other activities outside life group and church etc… So I said to Jill that while it was good to understand that she had a belief, getting to know Christianity could be one of the best things she was looking for.
Jill looked happy and shared with me how her friends had also taken her to church but that she just was not encouraged since all they did was to share bible verses and not testimonies. This style and approach to their faith was difficult for her to follow which had led her to giving up recently. We talked so much that when I looked at the clock it was almost 4pm (several hours) and I was no longer tired, but instead felt so alive. I felt this afternoon of conversation had been so edifying and that even as a “rest period” I could not be any happier or refreshed.
I left Jill for a bit and started praying for her and submitted her to God. I prayed to God that Jill belonged to Him and that I had done my part… We both went for a walk after that. When we got home that evening I asked her if she was tired and instead of answering my question she said something even better. Jill said that it was totally worth her while, that she and I had come on this ski trip because she had always wanted to learn more about Christianity and through that afternoon’s experience God had answered her prayer. Sharing with her all the great testimonies made the faith in God so much more real to her. It demonstrated the relationship-nature of our faith and how God was real and working in the lives of believers.
Just before dinner we started talking again and I found out that Jill had been in a difficult relationship and that she wanted a way out but did not know how to achieve that goal, even though she knew the relationship was going nowhere. I shared with her my experience and gave Jill my advice and counsel. I encouraged her to go to church to learn more about God & Christianity.
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