My Testimony

I was born into and grew up in a Baptist family and went to a Baptist Church my whole life. I never really understood what that entitled until curiosity got the better of me. I read that to be considered a member of a Baptist church you need to be baptized. I did not understand why it so important to my church, though.
I guess that I was always so baffled by baptism and why it was held so highly in my church because I didn’t really know what my testimony was. For all the baptisms I witnessed, I never once could figure out what I would say because, for as long as I could remember, I had been saved. I don’t know the day, month or the year I was saved. As I sat in my room one night thinking about that (and soon after was typing this up) I realized that I had my testimony right there. It wasn’t grand and epic but it was mine and that was the most important thing.
I remember going into my father’s bathroom and sitting there praying that God would save my soul once again because I thought that I lost my salvation if I sinned after that proclamation. I remember that very clearly. I also remember my dog Gizmo and how I took her out in the backyard one day when I was still fairly young and “praying” with her to ask God to save her so she could go to heaven with me and we wouldn’t be separated forever by one of us dying.
One day, I was reading through the little stories and it had one of a young Indian prince who gave the Koh-In-Noor diamond which is among the world’s most spectacular to Queen Victoria. Years later, when he was grown up, he visited Queen Victoria and basically represented the diamond to her saying “I gave this jewel when I was a child, too young to know what I was doing. I want to give it to you again in the fullness of my strength, with all of my heart and affection, and gratitude, now and forever, fully realizing all that I do.” That story spoke to me and reminded me of my wavering faith as a child and I sat right there and re-committed my life (again) to Christ.
I now understand more about Baptism and why we do it and, obviously, my testimony isn’t as much of a mystery to me. I know that I believe in a heaven and hell and I know that Jesus Christ came to earth to save my soul. I needed to repent for my sins only once to accept his free gift of eternal life.
I’ve gone through many other times of “I want to get into God’s Word more” and re-commitment to him. However, it was in a matter of a few weeks that God really stoked the fire in my heart once more. After an extended, impromptu sleep over at the DeVries’s house and some white water rafting, I started attending a youth group more consistently than I ever had in my life. And since, it hasn’t been smooth sailing, but just like that rafting trip, I’ve learned you hold on tight, obey your guide, and be so thankful for the Godly friends that are along for the journey.