Wedding Day
Have you ever felt like you are stuck in religion and far from God? I have. For many years I was so close to God but always in the wrong church. It took 46 years for me to learn about salvation and God’s grace.
After being single for 6 years an old boyfriend, Johann looked me up on Facebook. You see I had been his first love and he had never forgotten about me. The Bible verse Proverbs 5:18 “may your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth” had played over and over in his mind for a while and he decided to look me up and see how I was.
We met again for the first time on my birthday on 29 September 2008 and it was love at first sight all over again.
On the 30th of October 2008 we were in the parking lot at our Pastor’s church as we had an appointment to arrange a wedding date, when a vagrant came up to the car and asked for money. Johann got out the car and chatted to him for ages. He started praying over the man and I of course didn’t know what was going on! In fact, I felt a little uncomfortable. Johann got back in the car and told me the man had given his heart to Jesus. I had no clue what that meant!
That night at the ripe young age of 45 on the 30th October 2008 at 21h10 something came over me and I felt this overwhelming love flooding through my veins. I didnt know what was happening to me but Johann did. He called the Pastor who talked me through the sinner’s prayer.
I still had no idea what all of this meant, I just knew that something huge was happening to me!
Johann and I got married on the 6th of November 2008 and so we started our marriage together, a marriage blessed by God, a convenant we made with God.
I started to go to church with him every Sunday and got to know the Pastor. God has blessed us with a wonderful Pastor who walks the walk with you. His phone is on day and night and he really is a true man of God. I thank God every day for blessing me with the right church and the right leadership.
It hasn’t been easy and we have had many, many challenges that we have had to overcome and old habits in our lives that we have had to cut off.
Jesus says in John 15: 1-17: ”I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.”
It’s not always easy to love people on the days that you don’t feel like loving them but God’s greatest command is that we love one another as He loves us. Can you imagine? We are so unworthy and yet He LOVES us! The least we can do is love each other.
I have learnt so much since the 30th of October 2008 and have had an awesome walk with God. He has changed me so much…….. He can change ANYONE if you open your heart and allow him to. Believe me when I tell you that I was not a pleasant person before but when the Holy Spirit comes to live inside you, there is nothing He can’t change if you let him.
God is not about rules and regulations and have to’s. God is love, grace, mercy and forgiveness to those who follow him.
Being trapped in religion and having a personal relationship with God are 2 entirely different things. I thank God every day that He freed me from religion to have a wonderful relationship with Him.
I am not the same person I used to be. I am not where I should be but I am getting there with His help.
Praise God, He is awesome!
