This testimony was kindly shared by Marcia, who gave me permission to include it here. I do not personally know her, but I appreciate her letting me share her story so it can encourage others.
My name is Marcia and I would like to tell you how it was that I came to know my savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.
I am 46 years old and have only been a Christian for 17 years. Before then, I probably thought I was a Christian. I believed in God and I was basically a "good" person.
I come from a broken home, married my first husband at 17, and had my first son at 17.The marriage only lasts about 4 years and then we seperated. He moved across country and I moved to Baltimore.I got involved in another relationship a little while later that lasted a little over a year, but about 7 months into the relationship, he began to be physically abusive.
I really cared deeply for him and probally wouldn't have left the relationship as soon as I did if it had not been for two things. First, my 6 year old son witnessed the last beating, and second, just before the last beating,I had found out that I was pregnant. Mostly for fear of the life of the unborn child, I decided I had better find a way to leave.
My oldest brother was able to help me and I stayed with him for 2 months until I got my own apartment.
That was in February of 1980.In July of 1980, my daughter was born. In September of that same year, I met my present husband, Jay. We were married 2 years later, I had John, and somewhere in all that, Jay adopted my daughter. He wanted to adopt my older son, Dave, as well, but his biological father wouldn't allow it.
We were doing alright, though things were financially rough, we had our own home, jay had work, and I had the kids. Eventually though, I became bored of always being at home with the kids, being so tied down.
I had started going to church shortly after John was born, but that soon wasn't enough. When John was older, maybe about 1 or so, I began to fuss about never going out or doing anything. Jay finally agreed that we could go out on Saturday nights and he arranged for his niece to babysit while we went out to that bar.
So Saturday nights we would go out, get fairly drunk and wake up Sunday mornings and go to church.
By March of 1985, I was not only drinking Saturday nights, but I would also sneak bottles of wine into the house whenever I could manage it, so that I could have a few drinks before Jay would come home from work.
I was pretty miserable, but God has a way of reaching people who are miserable and desperate,even when they don't realize it.You see, I had also joined the choir at the church I was going to.God is able to use anyone,but when people aren't available,He also has other resources.
Nothing is impossible with God,The choir I was telling you about ha to prepare for the Contada for Christmas of 1984, and then another Contada for Easter of 1985.
It was through back-to-back Contadas that I heard the Gospel message and between the sunrise service and the regular service of Easter Sunday 1985,I gave my heart to Christ.
My life has not been the same since.I bought myself a bible, started to read it, got involved in Bible studies,was completely delivered from alcohol, became very content to be home with my kids and my marriage, which really could have been in real trouble, became stronger.
God has turned my life around and saved me from making a lot of poor and selfish, self destructive choices and I give Him all the praise.
I am not saying there hasn't been hard times or struggles, God doesn't promise us that there won't be. He does promise to go through them with us and give us the strength to get through. He's helping me through one of my hardest times right now. The daughter I mentioned earlier that you haven't found mentioned in the rest of my pages?
She was lost to us for a long time and we had't seen her or had communication with her.God has begun a work in her heart and a healing in us, though.We are not communicating and I am planning a page to introduce you to out daughter and our granddaughters!