been wanting to type out my testimony, mostly for myself to keep, but also to share with others if they feel like reading it. It's really a rather newly updated story in my life, so while it's fresh I might as well get started. Here I go! It's long. You can handle it!
I was raised in the Methodist church by my two wonderful parents since the beginning of my memories. We regularly attended a traditional church up until about 3rd grade when we moved to a new neighborhood and joined a freshly planted, more youthful, modern church called Creekwood UMC. There, I grew close with the tiny youth group and eventually went through confirmation in 7th grade, mostly to satisfy my parents, I'll admit. At the time, I felt so happy being praised and supported by my church family that there wasn't really another option in my mind. All was smooth sailing. Through my freshman and sophomore years in high school, I was still relatively involved with my youth group and was part of a Christian volleyball club, so I was constantly surrounded by people who encouraged me to grow spiritually.
Once junior year came around, the two people closest to me were a religious skeptic and the other completely irritated by the entire idea of Christianity so I began to drift away. I wasn't atheist, just full of doubt and very little desire to pursue my faith. I was doing well without God and as far as I knew I was a good person, so I saw no need for believing in, much less worshipping, this entity that I couldn't see or hear or sense.
Things didn't get any different until my first semester at college. I joined a greek organization and lived in a co-ed dorm and was soaking up all the fun and excitement that college had to offer. I was newly single for the first time in 2.5 years, so I took advantage of the party atmosphere and met lots of guys without many reservations. Some of the people I ran around with were party animals, and I, never having drank in high school, dabbled in that arena as well. Unfortunately, God wasn't even in the back of my mind. My Bible was somewhere at college with me, packed away in a storage box under my bed, but I didn't have any desire to open it up. Life was good and I was still a relatively moral person by my standards.
Come Christmas 2010. I went home for the holidays and got to flirt with boys I had liked in high school but never had the freedom to pursue. I was still living the good life and had little hindsight. I wasn't interested in committing to anybody or anything, but I liked dating when I was asked. It wasn't until I met up with one certain guy that things changed.
Ryan Ledet and I had been friends throughout high school. I even knew who he was in middle school, though he was a year older and likely never knew me. (He had great hair and a lip ring, of course I knew who he was!) We both had long-term relationships in high school so were never able to pursue each other, but from the time friends introduced us, we definitely had great chemistry. By Christmas 2010 we were both single and hadn't seen each other in forever, so he asked me out to coffee to catch up. Instantly sparks flew and we spent all of break together. (We've been dating for almost a year now and I'm 99% positive this is the guy I'm going to marry.)
What I didn't expect to come from my relationship with Ryan was spiritual renewal.
If you've never heard the story of Hosea and Gomer, go read it (Book of Hosea!) and you will have some idea of how I view Ryan's impact on my life. Pre-Ryan, I was careless, disinterested in worshipping a God-like figure, and non-committal. I had no interest in faith and little to hold me back from sin so I was slowly headed down a reckless path. During Christmas break I ignorantly told Ryan several times I didn't want to date him because I wanted to experience college as a single girl (I wanted to party and date lots of boys). More than once I told him that, but he was persistent. He told me he could make me happier than anybody else, that I wasn't a party girl, that I could do so much better, but I denied it. Eventually, I had no excuse not to date him. I knew all the things he said were true and I knew nobody else could possibly be better for me than him.
When I started to spend time around his family, I found amazing, strong, God-fearing examples that made me step back and look at my last three years in astonishment. How did I survive without God? When Ryan introduced me to his church, I was awestruck. The congregation there was so full of faith and desire to worship God with every breath. How had I missed this awesome relationship with Christ they were so passionate about? Every person and experience Ryan introduced me to added to the fire inside me. I wanted that relationship with Christ! I wanted faith back in my life! I wanted to let go of my life and let God take control!
It took me awhile, but eventually I realized before Ryan barged into my life, I had been a lost sheep, and God had sent him, as he sent Hosea to Gomer, to buy me back and return me to his flock. Ryan was literally a messenger from God, and he had no idea.
Immediately when I returned to school, things took a 180. My life, which I thought was awesome before, suddenly had purpose and meaning. The sun was brighter, my steps were more sure, I saw the glory of creation in every person and creature. I had this amazing renewed passion for furthering my relationship with Christ. Since Ryan brought with him God's little message, I have been challenged and continually transformed daily.
Luckily, with all these changes, God brought an awesome support system into my life. I have incredible sisters in my sorority to walk with me as I journey, I'm a part of a new college Bible study with my friends from home, I've got an accountability partner in my best friend and boyfriend, and I've got fabulous older friends and mentors to consult when I stray.
I still have bad days when I face struggles and try to tackle them on my own. I don't show love to everybody, as much as I'd like to. I get frustrated with people easily. I am still a faith baby and have far to go, but even with the daunting task of endless devotion in front of me, I am eager to greet each day and give it my all with Christ and my support system by my side.
Seriously life is awesome.
I need to edit and revise this, but I've been typing for too long and I'm getting distracted. But here it is for now!
Hope you guys enjoyed getting to know a little about my faith history.
And give my boyfriend Ryan a pat on the back if you see him! He's great.
Love you! Hope I didn't bore you!
