The biggest challenge of my life, which came about six years ago, my 9th grade year. I was helping my 63-year-old neighbor, doing yard work. She was a Christian. She would pray with me when I was struggling and she would always have Christian music playing in her home. Despite living in a Christian home, I wanted my faith to look like hers. There were lots of men visiting, I thought they were helping her fix her stuff. My neighbor took a number of photos of me, saying they were for a picture album. My mom suspected something was going on. We argued and fought. I said hurtful things, and did hurtful things in the heat of the moment. I moved out of the house. Things were too tense, and I was turning into a terrible person. I was 15 years old.
One day my neighbor asked if I would go with her to her rental house to clean and get a couple of things. She told me not to tell anyone, not even my parents. That’s when I started suspected something was going on. I look back now and I only see God’s hand on my life, and a discernment that was so unlike anything I had felt before. I went to my parents and told them what my neighbor asked me to do. My parents reported the incident to the police. They started an investigation, and to put it plainly, she was working to traffick me, and by the grace of God I was spared. We have recently found out she is in a witchcraft demon cult, spiritual warfare is a very real thing, and I am so grateful for the guardian angel that has saved me from so many things. However, around that time I walked away from God and for about a year after that I would deny who God was, not because I didn’t want to know him, but because I didn’t want to be like my neighbor.
After I had walked away from Christ, I found myself in bad situations. Bad friends, bad relationships, I was being followed by guys, bad jobs, parties, drugs, and skipping class. I moved out of my house again because my parents didn’t like the person I was becoming. When I realized after a while that the lifestyle I lived was not what I wanted for myself, I changed, but with that change I lost everything. I was alone.
I was walking down the highway one day, because I had lost my job, my ex- fiance my friends, and family. I was having a pity party for myself and was yelling at God. And in the middle of my yelling I heard three words. And those beautiful three words changed my whole life! “Go Home Sarah!” It wasn’t a voice you hear when someone is talking to you. It was a voice of love, authority, peace, and holiness. The difference in the voice is the reason I obeyed.
As I knocked on the door to my home, my parents answered. Right away I felt unwanted. And as that feeling set in, I started crying. After that I don’t remember much. It’s a blur of confession, honesty, peace, forgiveness, and thankfulness. The best analogy I can use is warmth after a long time out in the cold or light after spending hours in the dark.
Over the next few months, I sat down with my parents to discuss how to become the person I want to be. How was I going to be able to hold myself to these standards I had set with them? How was I going to lead a life of Christ when everything there reminded my of my shadows, following me everywhere? What about boarding school? Would I even be able to get in?
I applied three weeks before school started to Hillcrest Lutheran Academy, and got in! I know it was all God! I looked terrible on paper, and tried so hard to be perfect in the interview, I was sure I had blown it! It was just another thing God had control over! I didn’t expect God to work in my life as much as He had and is doing! I didn’t know that my testimony would be helpful to other people or affect other people in the way it has! I didn’t know that God would use me to counsel young kids and early teens to follow Christ. I didn’t know I would become that person on the plane talking to you about Jesus. How could I have been changed so much in such a short time? I am reminded of Paul, in comparison with my own story, except I was blind from the beginning only to have clear sight now.
Now, I thank God everyday because I know he was looking out for me. The events that happened, happened in the right order and he protected me. And I thank my parents everyday because even though I treated them terribly they still loved me and still forgave me. And they still protected me even though I was undeserving of their kindness. My parents remind me of God’s love for me, because even though I do stupid and terrible things they are always there. And our relationship has never been stronger, and hopefully will continue to grow! God willing.
With God’s love, mercy, and strength we can conquer our problems and help others. I forgave and was forgiven. And I’ve learned not to ask why because that would be assuming that I know God’s plan better than He does. After all without all those things, I would not have had the glorious opportunity to grow in Him, to be here and present, nor to have a testimony that is powerful. I trust God because He is the only thing that is constant. He is my everything.
My Life is God's Story 