Rachel's Testimony

I was raised in a Christian home and my parents took me to church frequently. My parents divorced and I quit going to church even though my mom was still going. My life slowly started to get out of control. When I was twelve I started drinking and then when I was thirteen I started doing a lot of different drugs. I ended up getting arrested when I was seventeen. I was sent to a juvenile detention center multiple times. Through all this I still believed that there was a God and that I would give my life to him one day when I was ready to settle down. I ended up suffering from severe panic attacks due to using drugs and was hospitalized. At that time I was open when my sister, who is a campus minister, asked if she could pray with me. I prayed to give my life to Jesus, but I wasn't ready to let go of the lifestyle I was living. I didn’t know if I was going to college because of my legal issues so I only applied to USF and I ended up getting in. My sister invited me to Cornerstone and I would visit occasionally. I knew it was time to get my life together so I ended up doing Bible studies with another campus minister. I knew a lot about the truth and I saw that I was in sin and separated from God. She challenged me and asked what was holding me back from giving my life to the Lord. I told her I had done it once already but had failed at walking it out. I knew God loved me but I was scared of letting Him down again. I thought that being a Christian would be boring and that I would be giving up everything fun. I told her I felt like I was wasting her time and I quit going to Bible studies. I ended up going home that Christmas break and going back to all my old friends and lifestyle. But because I knew the truth these things weren’t as fun to me. I tried desperately to be satisfied by the world but I found that it wasn’t possible. I was having some health issues and my sister encouraged me to get prayed for, and God miraculously healed me! I was so ministered to by His love that I called up the campus minister that I hadn’t talked to since before Christmas. I went over to her house and I prayed to give my whole life completely over to the Lord. That next weekend I was baptized and shortly after I became a member of Cornerstone Christian Church. My relationship with the Lord is so close now and is continuing to grow. I am more satisfied now than I ever was in the world. I’ve tasted and seen His love and glory and I could never go back to my old life. I live in a house with four other girls from church and I am learning everyday how to become more and more like Christ. My life is far from boring! It’s amazing to see how the Lord is transforming me and the plans he has for me. I now have the opportunity to share my testimony with girls on campus and help with Bible studies. This spring break I am going on a trip with Cornerstone Christian Church to the University of Florida to share my testimony of how God set me free.

~Rachel