A friend of mine found this story I wrote on Facebook and I thought it was good to repeat it here. So here goes…
Several years ago, I found myself crying most every day, depressed about all the time, struggling in lots of ways. I know I had made bad choices in my life. Plus, other people hurt me, used me, manipulated me, then threw me away. I would think that if this, or that, circumstance would change, then things would be better. So, I would do the best I could to make the circumstances change, only nothing got better. I felt like I was in a tailspin heading for a crash. It felt like even my body was going to explode at some point. Nothing made me happy and I had no peace inside. Just turmoil and lots of pain. Complete hopelessness! I even contemplated suicide. (I know how horrible it is to the family, so I didn’t contemplate it long).
I know there are a lot of people out there that feel the same way.
So, what did I do to turn things around? I gave up. I gave up trying to make life better. I gave up trying to control my circumstances. I gave up doing things my way. And I gave my life and heart to Jesus. I repented (said I was sorry) for having been rebellious (which was doing things my way), and told Him that I would start living for Him. I found out that the word for repentance means, “to turn and go in the opposite direction”. So I turned and went in another direction. I stopped doing things that the Bible said I shouldn’t do, like what the 10 commandments say. Then I started reading the New Testament and finding out what I was supposed to live my life like. To follow after Jesus.
From that point on, my life started to turn around and change for the better. It takes some time to turn the Titanic around (I was headed for the iceberg). But it did turn around. The peace that flooded into me was like nothing I have ever known before. And as I have made right choices, I have seen the rewards that come with them. Through the Bible I have learned that I am not the lowest slime on the earth. I found out that I am tremendously loved. That I was worth the sacrifice that Jesus made, to die on the cross. That I was worth everything to Him. He died for me so that He wouldn’t have to live without me. And He gave me the choice to accept His wonderful, beautiful gift of eternal life. Wow!