Today I am very excited to share with you the Jesus story of a beautiful young lady in the Lord that I am very blessed to call a friend. Oh how she makes my heart smile after her love for her Father.
Please Welcome Haley Lawter
My First Impression of Jesus:
Growing up I was taught to be a believer in Christ. My family raised me in the church, taught me all the hymns, showed me how to pray, and read me The Bible. I had the perfect foundation for God to plant His seed in me.
Growing up I had so many questions to ask. I acted like I understood everything, but honestly I couldn't wrap my brain around the idea. I was always wondering who was this Man that was always watching and looking over me. Whenever I asked these questions, God blessed me with someone who could help me understand. God blessed me with my father. My dad was and still is the most Godly man that I know to this day. I believe that God was in him always. I would have so many questions to ask my dad. Sometimes he would have an answer, and sometimes he would say you need to save that question for God. Yes, he couldn't answer everything but God provided him with the knowledge for everything that I needed to know.
In the Summer of 2008, I attended Vacation Bible School like always. It was the night of what I like to call "The ABC Night." Usually on this night you get taught the ABC's of becoming a Christian and at the end they have a time where you can talk to your pastor about becoming saved. That night I didn't go up front and talk to someone due to my case of shyness, but I did pray the sinner's prayer that night. I asked God to come into my life and to save me. When I got home that night, I told my mom that I wanted to talk to her alone. We went in my room and I told her that I got saved. I told her that I prayed the prayer silently and asked God to come into my life. You could see the joy just radiating off her. That next Sunday at church I went up front during invitation and told our pastor about my decision to follow Christ. We prayed together and he welcomed me into the family.
September 21st of 2008, I was baptized in the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. I felt like my life was changed, in matter of fact it was changed. I remember my dad saying to me that day that "I had made the best decision that an eight year old could make." I remember smiling with him in that moment and believing that everything was perfect...
Destruction Hits:
It was just like any other day. I woke up, done my morning routine, and headed to school. I went to class, talked with my friends, and tried to maintain an A average. After school I had the usual band practice on Tuesday like always. About thirty minutes into band practice, I started receiving non stop phone calls from my mom. Our band director didn't mind if we had our phones, we just couldn’t talk on them while we were playing. So I ignored all of my mom's calls. It seemed like the more I tried to ignore them, the more they just continued on after one another. I finally realized that something wasn't right and that I needed to answer my phone. When I answered my phone I didn't know what to expect. My mom came through on the other line saying that my dad had passed out at work and she was on her way to the hospital now. She told me that my cousin would pick me up afterwards and not her. We talked for a few more minutes then the call was over. I said a quick prayer for my dad and texted a close friend of mine asking her to be putting us in her prayers.
I thought everything was gonna be okay. When I talked to my mom later in the evening, she said that "they" were on "their" way home. I thought "they" and "their" included him in it too...
My dad passed away on December 2nd of 2014. It was definitely an unexpected moment in life. We see this happening to others, we see this in movies and read about it in books. We never think that it is actually gonna happen to us. I never thought that it could or would happen to me. However, in reality this does happen to us. It happened to me...
I've always read about it in The Bible, I've always been told by others when a situation like this comes along the only thing you can do is to look to God. When my dad passed away, I knew that the only way I was going to get through it was with God and through my family. However, I pushed my family away and in doing this I pushed God out too. I pushed everyone and anything away during this time. I shut everyone out including God.
The following months after the passing of my dad, I was in a bad place. I had become someone that I never thought I would become. I was hopeless and thought that I would never know the definition of hope again. It felt like I was in a black hole, everything was getting darker and deeper by each day, each second.
My Savior Reigns:
In May of 2015, I attended an event with a close friend of mine at her church. I wasn't quite sure how everything was going to work out, considering this was my first time at her church and this was an overnight event. I thought this event wasn't really going to do much for me, but if only I knew what God had planned for me.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares The LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you..." ~ Jeremiah 29:11-12
That night I witnessed a message on a subject that is close to my heart. That night God used that message to work through me. That night I gained my hope back. That night I found my Savior Jesus Christ on a level that I never knew existed.
Blessed be The God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ! According to this great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead... ~ 1 Peter 1:3
On the 16th of May 2015, I was fully saved. I realized that I was never fully saved when I got baptized in 2008. I realized that what I thought was being saved was actually just God planting His seed in me.
On the 7th of June 2015, I was washed in the water, I was washed in the blood of Christ. I was baptized in the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. This time I knew it was for real, I was changed on a level that no one could ever describe except for God Himself. I knew this time that I was forgiven and saved by my LORD and Savior. I knew that this time it was final and there was no looking back.
I am closer to Christ then I have ever been before. Yes, everything is not perfect and I still mess up, but now I have the mercy and forgiveness of God. With God everything has been born new. With God I am no longer in that black hole, I am now in His rays of light.
There is a verse in "Something In the Water" by Carrie Underwood that I think goes along with this:
"And now I'm singing along to amazing grace,
Can't nobody wipe this smile off my face
Got joy in my heart, angels on my side
Thank God almighty, I saw the light
Gonna look ahead, no turning back
Live every day, give it all that I have
Trust in someone bigger than me
Ever since the day that I believed I am changed
And now I'm stronger"
I am now changed and made stronger due to the salvation of Jesus Christ!
I am so thankful for everyone who has been there for me in every way. I owe my life to my dear friend and her church, if it wasn't for them I have no clue where I would be today. I wouldn't have had the life changing moment of coming to know Christ, I wouldn't have had this testimony to reach out to others and proclaim His name.
I thank God everyday for my salvation. I am beyond blessed to have the wonderful gift of Christ that He gave us.
Thank you God!
Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! - Psalm 103:1-5
