« Sarah's Story »

Act I:

I was raised in a two-parent, small-town home up until the age of twelve, when my father passed away quickly from heart disease. My parents taught me to treat others the way I wanted to be treated and to always respect authority. I went to church, when I was dragged along by my bestfriend's family. Although church was fun and exciting, I never really got into it.

In high school and college, I had little interaction with any youth groups or church activities. I spent most of my years pouring myself into whatever current boyfriend I had. I was surrounded by Christianity; however, never knew it. Towards the end of my college years, I started to have a hunger for something more out of life than just my current situation. I started to desire a relationship with the Lord, but had no clear reality of what that looked like or meant.

Act II:

At age 22, I found myself with the biggest decision of my life-- to have my unborn child or not to have my unborn child. As I faced myself in the mirror wondering what in the world I had gotten myself into, I knew the only choice I had was to have this child. However, the idea of having a child was more than I could wrap my mind around. I had no job, no degree, no real direction in life and no way to support myself, let alone a child.

On April 9th, 2004 I was 3 months pregnant, an obvious sinner, and stepping foot in the church that my friend had spent all those childhood years dragging me too. It just happened to be Good Friday, the day Jesus died on the Cross, for our sins. That night for the first time in my life, I understood why Jesus died on the Cross that day. He was the common link between God and me. Without His death, my sins could never be forgiven. Jesus offered His life in place of mine, so that even though I was a sinner, I could still have a relationship with God.

I cried through the entire service. At the end of the service, I simply remember saying "God, I cannot do this on my own anymore. I have fallen flat on my face, and I cannot get through this pregnancy without you." After the time in prayer, I surrounded myself around Christians. I was involved in many bible studies and church programs. My hunger for more in life was being satisfied with learning more and more about God.

Act III:

During the last five years since that day, I have had plenty of good and bad days. I am a mother to an amazing little girl, I am still a sinner just like everyone else, and I am deeply in love with God. I stand firm in my belief that God's Words are true, my sins are forgiven, and when I pass away I will live forever in Heaven. Just as Jesus promised in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

Sarah R.